Collectively the faith in European exploration was focused and directed to the teachings of the Catholic Church. The main idea of the spread of Catholicism and the word of God around the globe, especially to the New World, attributed to the already tenacious character of the exploration hungry Europeans. The sixteenth century was also a time of persecution and discrimination against religions other than Catholicism. Some European peoples simply left Europe to explore the world to escape the threat of the Catholic institutions.
Fate was led by the common geographic location of the European explorative countries. Because of Europe’s location they were reliant on the continuous use of oceanic travel in order to trade with Eastern countries. European countries that were on the Atlantic coast of Europe or on the Mediterranean Sea were easily accessed to ports. These conveniently positioned shipping locales made it significantly easier for the European explorers to venture into the world of the unknown and unexplored.
Fortune was a great incentive for the Europeans to explore the globe, as they say; money makes the world go ‘round. In the sixteenth century much of the European explorers’ goals for fortune leaned on a doctrine called; Mercantilism. Mercantilism is the belief a state head or a government should do anything and everything in their power to generate a profit or gather unclaimed wealth. At the time governments were pouring plenty of money into the exploration field, and receiving a hefty profit in return for the good faith in their explorers. The European exploration in the sixteenth century also gave rise to the infamous Triangle Trade. The Triangle Trade was a trade route the Europeans utilized during the years of the mass African slave trade. Europe took slaves from Africa and brought them to the New World in exchange for goods. The goods were then brought back to Europe to make new goods and to make a profit. This created a triangular shape in the Atlantic Ocean, thus giving the route its name. This was played a huge role in the generation of fortune in sixteenth century Europe.
The European Age of Exploration was dominated by three key dynamics; faith, fate, and fortune. Catholicism headed the Europeans in their faith, Europe’s oceanic location commanded their fate, and it was the doctrine of Mercantilism that regulated their fortune. The European Age of Exploration was shaped, molded, and formed thanks to these three dynamics.
