Why do People Explore? 

  The Guttenberg Press had a tremendous influence on people's ideas, beliefs, and intellectual curiosity. The only books available were those copied and/or translated by Catholic Monks.  These monks may or may not have been able to read the material they transcribed.  The only people who had access to these books were priests and the very rich.  Middle and lower class folk had to believe what was told to them...after all those educated, rich people could read and knew what was best. 

   After the Guttenberg Press printed many books, people could read, then question what the priests and others told them. They began to develop their own beliefs. Religion was questioned and many people began breaking away from the Catholic Church.  People were questioning the governments.  The discovery and reprinting of the adventures of Marco Polo and ancient maps from Greece, excited people about travel and riches.

   The riches would be spices from the Spice Islands. Europeans had no refrigeration, so they could only preserve meat and food by salting, smoking, drying or pickling it. The spices (which even the poor wanted), could hide the taste of rotting food.  Spices were worth more than gold.  Which route could they take?  The land route through the Middle East had bands of robbers, the ocean was risky. Could anyone find a faster safer route to the Indies?

When foreign lands were found and claimed, many people explored areas to "save" the savages souls, by converting them to a Christian religion.  Some explorers were "nobodies" and needed the fame to achieve power. Others were of a curious nature, and wished to gain nothing more than knowledge (i.e. rich botanists who came with the exploring group).

Why did explorer, explore?  Fame, power, converting savages, riches, knowledge.

In this unit you will make an "Explorer's Museum."  This is an un-report. You will answer question, but you will put your knowledge gained in a museum display. We will have these displays open one evening for your parents to observe. Perhaps you will want to even transform yourself into that explorer for the evening.  :)