In my opinion, the most significant historical development during this time was Columbus' discovery of the Americas and the Columbian Exchange--which was a result of the prior. It is arguable that without Columbus' discovery of the Americas, the events and developments after it would not have happened or been as influential. Take the conquering of the Aztecs and Incas as an example, had Columbus not reached the North and South Americas, the Spanish would not have conquered the Aztecs or Incans--even if they did, it would most likely be a long time before they would've been able to do so.
In 1492 King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella provided support for Columbus to sail out to India. Christopher Columbus had hoped to find new trade routes to India, as they had a large amount of luxury goods that the Spanish--and other Europeans--desired. He had a theory that if he sailed across the ocean, instead of going around the tip of Africa, it would be much faster and easier. What he didn't predict was that Earth was in fact much bigger and there were two continents standing in his way--the Americas. He arrived at San Salvador, thinking it was India, and settled down, making it a Spanish colony.
Afterwards, an interest in exploration rose in Europe, inspiring plenty of explorers and navigators to sail out. Many wanted to colonize territories for wealth and resources, and others wanted to find new and faster trade routes. Without Columbus' original trip--even if he did make a great mistake--it is arguable that most developments succeeding after it would not have happened as quickly. Therefore it is acceptable to say that this is the most significant development during the Age of Exploration.
Another factor that supports this argument is the Columbian Exchange, an exchange of goods and products between the Americas and Europe. This phenomenon was created after Columbus discovered the Americas and brought along the Spanish people and goods from the home country. There are 3 main things exchanged between the two continents: plants, animals, and diseases. Plants usually referred to food items like potatoes, corn, and grains; but inedible items such as tobacco were very significant to the growth of Europe. Animals such as livestock were important food items to both continents, and animals such as ox and horses were very useful in farming and the development of agriculture in the Americas. Epidemics had one of the biggest impacts on Native American history. When the Europeans arrived in the Americas, they were dirty and smelly, bringing along many pathogens and foreign diseases to the Native Americans. As Europeans such as the Spanish, they were immune to those diseases, but the Native Americans had no contact with these viruses before. Large epidemic outbreaks in the Americas--especially smallpox--weakened and lessened the population by a great deal. In Mexico alone, the population fell from roughly 30 million in 1519 to only 3 million in 1568. The largely decreased population was responsible for many changes afterwards during this period of history (in a way, it inspired the usage of African slaves).
Christopher Columbus' discovery of the Americas was incredibly significant to the timeline of the world, as it spawned the many developments afterwards. Without this event, many developments succeeding it would have taken much longer to develop and happen. The discovery made a huge impact on today's world, with the culture and the economy. The Columbian Exchange was also an important by-product of this event, without this concept, the Americas would not be the same today. Therefore it is arguable that Columbus' exploration was the most significant event of the Age of Exploration.
In 1492 King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella provided support for Columbus to sail out to India. Christopher Columbus had hoped to find new trade routes to India, as they had a large amount of luxury goods that the Spanish--and other Europeans--desired. He had a theory that if he sailed across the ocean, instead of going around the tip of Africa, it would be much faster and easier. What he didn't predict was that Earth was in fact much bigger and there were two continents standing in his way--the Americas. He arrived at San Salvador, thinking it was India, and settled down, making it a Spanish colony.
Afterwards, an interest in exploration rose in Europe, inspiring plenty of explorers and navigators to sail out. Many wanted to colonize territories for wealth and resources, and others wanted to find new and faster trade routes. Without Columbus' original trip--even if he did make a great mistake--it is arguable that most developments succeeding after it would not have happened as quickly. Therefore it is acceptable to say that this is the most significant development during the Age of Exploration.
Another factor that supports this argument is the Columbian Exchange, an exchange of goods and products between the Americas and Europe. This phenomenon was created after Columbus discovered the Americas and brought along the Spanish people and goods from the home country. There are 3 main things exchanged between the two continents: plants, animals, and diseases. Plants usually referred to food items like potatoes, corn, and grains; but inedible items such as tobacco were very significant to the growth of Europe. Animals such as livestock were important food items to both continents, and animals such as ox and horses were very useful in farming and the development of agriculture in the Americas. Epidemics had one of the biggest impacts on Native American history. When the Europeans arrived in the Americas, they were dirty and smelly, bringing along many pathogens and foreign diseases to the Native Americans. As Europeans such as the Spanish, they were immune to those diseases, but the Native Americans had no contact with these viruses before. Large epidemic outbreaks in the Americas--especially smallpox--weakened and lessened the population by a great deal. In Mexico alone, the population fell from roughly 30 million in 1519 to only 3 million in 1568. The largely decreased population was responsible for many changes afterwards during this period of history (in a way, it inspired the usage of African slaves).
Christopher Columbus' discovery of the Americas was incredibly significant to the timeline of the world, as it spawned the many developments afterwards. Without this event, many developments succeeding it would have taken much longer to develop and happen. The discovery made a huge impact on today's world, with the culture and the economy. The Columbian Exchange was also an important by-product of this event, without this concept, the Americas would not be the same today. Therefore it is arguable that Columbus' exploration was the most significant event of the Age of Exploration.