Age of Discovery

This episode explores the Age of Discovery - the transformative era between the 15th and 17th centuries when European powers ventured across the globe. Driven by trade ambitions, religious motives, and breakthroughs in navigation and shipbuilding, these explorations connected distant regions and set the stage for globalization. The discussion follows the landmark voyages of Portugal and Spain, including Vasco da Gama's route to India and Magellan's circumnavigation, and examines the later rise of England, France, and the Netherlands in global exploration. It also delves into the far-reaching consequences of this age - from colonial empires and the Columbian Exchange to the exploitation and upheaval of indigenous societies.