Topic 4.2 Reflection Writing

Write two well-developed paragraphs explaining how state sponsorship and economic motivation worked together to encourage European maritime exploration between 1450 and 1750.

• Paragraph 1:
  Explain how state sponsorship supported maritime exploration. Your paragraph should describe the role of governments in funding voyages, training navigators, granting charters, or asserting political authority over exploration. Use at least one specific historical example (such as Portugal or Spain).
• Paragraph 2:
  Explain how economic motivations encouraged exploration and how these motivations depended on state support. Your paragraph should discuss goals such as controlling trade routes, accessing spices or silver, or expanding national wealth under mercantilist ideas. Use at least one specific historical example and clearly connect economic goals to state involvement.

Your response should:

• Stay focused on the period 1450–1750
• Use specific evidence, not general statements
• Show how political power and economic goals were interconnected, not separate causes