The most important contribution to European expansion was the search for new trade routes. Christopher Columbus in 1492 accidentally stumbled across the Americas on his way to<Tab/>India in search of foreign goods and a new, quicker path to get to them. The Europeans already had trade routes, but each of them had a flaw. Either the route was too long, too costly, or too long. The main countries of their times sent different explorer's to find new trade routes.
Portuguese Prince Henry (the Navigator) founded an observatory and navigation school on the southern Portuguese co…
