The Dawn of the Age of Exploration: The History of the Initial Expeditions that Led to European Imperialism across the Globe

By the mid-15th century, the Byzantine Empire had collapsed and the various Crusades that had taken place in the region had largely disrupted the overland routes of the Silk Road and trade. Compounding the difficulties of trade was the rise of the Ottoman Empire in place of the Byzantines and the outbreak of the Black Death in Europe.

It was roughly around this time that a period of European exploration began, and major factors that contributed to this period of exploration were introduced b...