The era of the 15th and 16th centuries was an age of expansion for the majority of the known world. At this time, Asia, Africa, and even the Americas were experiencing great change in many different directions. Despite this fact, I believe Europe, as a direct result of global exploration, created the most rapid, dramatic, and lasting period of change in its entire history. During the 15th century, the amount of commerce between foreign nations was escalating rapidly. The Muslim nations had extended trade routes to West Africa and as far as the Spice Islands of Indonesia. Until the Ming Dynasty, Chinese vessels were conducting business on the shores of the Indian Ocean. They both had realized the ever-expanding market for the commodities of their homeland. The spices and textiles from India, China, and all over the Muslim world were highly prized and had great commercial value to the people of Europe. Until the mid 15th century, goods arrived in Europe from Asia via the Mediterranean, after coming through Egypt and over the Red Sea. The land route, known now as the “Silk Road”, was considerably faster. However, this route brought you through several Muslim territories, making the journey very expensive, if not deadly, for a Christian European salesman. This made the Europeans keen to circumvent the Arab “middlemen” for the sake of profitability and safety. Then in 1453, the Turks led by Mehmed II, captured Constantinople, which brought about the eventual demise of the Silk Road altogether. Now the need to discover new, faster, and safer routes to Asia had become essential. Portugal was a primary leader in this age of European exploration. At that time, Prince Infante Henry, better known as Henry the Navigator for his dedication to exploration, was the head of the Portuguese royal family. Bartholomew Dias sailed for Portugal in 1488, when he rounded the “Cape of Good” in Africa. This began an incredibly lucrative trade in