The European age of exploration was spurred by a desire for wealth and desire to spread Christianity. The desire for wealth was the greatest factor in the age of exploration. Merchants hoped to gain wealth through overseas trade routes. Europeans also felt like it was their duty to spread their religion. They wanted to defeat Muslins and convert non-Christians around the world. Before the 1400s Europeans had very little interest for exploring the world, but when they gained the ability to travel that changed. New inventions made advances in sailing technology such as the caravel, the magnetic compass, the astrolabe, and cartography. Important factor that drove the age of exploration were wealth. Christianity, and new inventions. Several
