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European Discovery Of Africa Essay

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The explorers of Africa played a fundamental role in the discovery of Africa for Europe. This essay will investigate the motivation behind these explorations, the results of the discoveries and how hey led to imperialism and colonialism in Africa. This will be proved by discussing firstly the prominent explores in both the fifteenth and the nineteenth century. Secondly, it will be proved by indicating how the discoveries of some of the last and greatest explorers of the new age of exploration provoked and accelerated the Scramble for Africa.

The emergence of the European explorers in the west coast of Africa during the fifteenth century signified the dawn of a new era: the Age of Discovery in Africa. Many brave European explorers ventured into the unknown seas and lands and were confronted by treacherous weathers during their sails, the dangers of unmapped territories, unpredictable encounters with the local people, and the unfamiliar terrains of Africa’s wilderness, deserts and rivers. Explorers left behind the safety of their lives in Europe in search of a new world: an unexplored mystery that symbolized the promise of wealth; knowledge; trade; and European expansion.

These explorers made a weighty contribution to the discovery of Africa and to its link to the western world, …show more content…

It was a period in history where Europeans had finally reached the needed levels of technology as well as economic and political stability. It was under the influence of Prince Henry of Portugal or better known as Prince Henry the Navigator, that Portugal embarked on a series of expeditions in a search for a safe and new sea route to India that would allow Portugal access to India’s trade and most especially, its famous spices. Europeans were not able to access direct sea routes to India, as the Arabs who controlled these maritime routes had blocked them

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