Exam

Describe and analyze how overseas expansion by European states affected global trade and international relations from 1600 to 1750.


Competition arose over who owned what property. 
There was also competition to discover certain waterway paths. 
Trade was made easier for some, while others who could not traverse the seas were left behind. 
Some international relations were left intact, while new alliances arose.   


The age of exploration in Europe had many repercussions that lasted for centuries. Countries  wanted to discover important resources, and the competition was fierce. The unexplored part of the world was rumored to have many usable resources, and most every large power in Europe wanted to see it for themselves. There was also competition between countries to find waterways to make trade more productive and available. Some countries developed alliances to find the paths and resources first. There was also issues over colonization; about which country owned the rights to which piece of land. The age of exploration in Europe led to countries competing over resources and land, produced a more productive trade system, and benefited many countries with their alliances.

The New World was rumored to have many resources that would benefit the entire world if they were acquired by the right types of people. Each and every country wanted to gain access to these resources, and competition arose. Some individual people wished to find the bounties for themselves. Pedro Cabral wanted to discover the Fountain of Youth that was said to be in the New World. Each country was coveting the same resources that were from the same places, and each was competing to be the first one to find them. Colonization was also an issue for Europeans, as there was no clear indication to determine which piece of the  New World belonged to which country. These competitions helped Europe develop into a more productive continent.

The trade system experience a great change with the dawn of exploration. Trade routes that used the sea as a pathway were established, and this helped the northern parts of Europe trade with the lower parts. By not having to go through different countries to establish trade alliances, countries like Spain found themselves in  less wars and times of unrest because of the age of exploration. Spices became easier to acquire as a result of the age of exploration. India had a corner on the spice market until spices were discovered in the New World. Countries in Europe then began to export their own spices, instead of having to have them imported from parts of Asia. Europe became a wealthier nation because of the age of exploration.

Overseas expansion changed the way some countries viewed their neighboring countries. Some alliances were made stronger, other were made obsolete, and some new alliances were formed. Portugal and Spain fought over land in South America, and their previous ties were soon forgotten. Other countries without the resources to explore overseas employed the help of stronger nations, and alliances were formed. Countries in Europe found it difficult to work together to acquire the resources that could be found overseas. For some countries it was impossible to do even travel overseas without the aid of another country, while others did not meddle with international relations, instead focusing on their own achievements.

The Age of Exploration in Europe led to many discoveries and achievements. Overseas expansion also helped the European nations become more unified as a whole. While there were a few countries who were only exploring for themselves, most countries allied with each other, and these alliances held even after the exploration had stopped. The Age of Exploration was a time of fiery competition for some countries, trying to find the most resources in the shortest amount of time. Trade routes were changed and new trade relations were established. Europe changed because of the Age of Exploration, and it would never return to its roots.