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Developments of the 1400s

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Question 1: The 1400s marked a time of exploration and expansion for Europe. Identify and explain three developments that stimulated this age of exploration.

Question 2: As farming became fundamental to ancient societies in Central America, it had a drastic impact on the population of these societies. Identify what you believe to be the three most important effects of farming, and explain your choices thoroughly.

Question 3: Compare and contrast four reform movements of the era: temperance, public education, asylums, and feminism. Be sure to note key details in each concerning the origins, important leaders, objectives, and accomplishments.

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This is a three part solution that describes the events of the 1400s. It identifies three developments that stimulated the age of European exploration, explains the impact of farming in Central America to the local population and compares and contrasts four reform movements of the era: temperance, public education, asylums, and feminism. 1786 words with a large bibliography.

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Hello and welcome to Brainmass! I have divided the solution into three parts addressing each question seperately. The guidelines provided will help you complete your assignment with ease. The references are formatted using APA styling which you are welcome to use should you find necessary. Good luck!!

Question 1: The 1400s marked a time of exploration and expansion for Europe. Identify and explain three developments that stimulated this age of exploration.

Before the 1400s, the Europeans were somewhat isolated from the rest of the world. But the periods during and after the 1400s saw significant contact with the outside world. I will discuss three developments that stimulated exploration and expansion.

Development 1 - For the purposes of wealth accumulation
The European rulers in that period were constantly fighting wars. They fought many wars with each other and constantly had to defend themselves from the Turkish Empire. Since wars were extremely expensive, they had to look for new sources of wealth. In particular, they wanted to acquire gold, silver, and other precious stones and believed that this was found in Asia. "By exploring the seas far from Europe, traders hoped to find new, faster routes to Asia-the source of spices and luxury goods. Their goal was to win access to these lands and bypass the Muslims and Italians who currently controlled this trade" (Little, 2008).

Development 2 - To spread Christianity
European rulers were extremely religious. Christianity was the only religion at the time and hence wanted to convert everyone to Christianity. "The Crusades had ended, but bad feelings between Christians and Muslims remained" (Little, 2008). The Christians of Europe wanted to convert the people of Asia. According to the teachings of European churches, Christianity was thought to be, like Islam, innately a missionary religion. It asserted the religious duty of many Christians to spread Christianity by any means necessary, which in many cases such as the Crusade in Palestine was committed by violence. Europeans saw inhabitants of new lands as prospect to Western Europeans to extend their beliefs.

Development 3 - A new route to Asia
To increase trade with other countries, the Europeans wanted to find a new route to Asia. Europeans traded with Africans for gold and ivory as well as for Chinese ginger and other spices. It was very difficult to get the spices from Asia to Europe. Spices had to be brought across thousands of miles of dangerous mountains and deserts by spice traders, whose routes were saturated by bandits waiting to attack. Bringing the spices by ship was the other alternative, which were plagued by unpredictable storms and pirates. These reasons made spices very expensive. The Turks had cut off the land route from Asia to Europe due to ongoing wars so the Europeans were left with little choice but to try and find an alternate route to Asia for wealth accumulation.

Question 2: As ...

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