Would you be willing to risk everything for your country, like European explorers did? They were willing to risk it all, even with hardly any information about where they were going.
Even though they knew the journey was always dangerous. Their ships could get lost or wrecked by a storm, or the crews might become ill. Still, their desire to reach the far-off regions of the world was unstoppable. They wanted wealth, fame, and adventure. They were also looking to bring glory to their country and themselves. Their journeys were often paid for, or sponsored, by monarchs seeking new trade routes, more natural resources, and new territory around the world. Many Europeans also saw it as their sacred duty to bring Christianity to these new places.
For these reasons, explorer after explorer set sail from the mid-15th to the mid-16th century. This was the beginning of the Age of Discovery, a time that changed the course of human history forever.
