European maritime expansion

Definition

European maritime expansion refers to the period when European nations expanded their influence through overseas exploration and colonization. It involved establishing colonies, trading posts, and controlling valuable resources such as spices, precious metals, and slaves.

Related terms

Columbian Exchange: The widespread exchange of plants, animals, diseases, ideas, technology, and culture between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas following Christopher Columbus' voyages.

Conquistadors: Spanish conquistadors were adventurers who explored Central and South America with ambitions for conquest. They sought wealth through plundering native civilizations.

Treaty of Tordesillas: An agreement between Portugal and Spain that divided newly discovered lands outside Europe along a meridian line. This helped avoid conflicts between the two nations during European maritime expansion.