| Quite a lot happened in Europe between | | | | the forces of the Ottaman Turks in 1453, the |
| 1002AD, when the Vikings hurriedly packed | | | | trade virtually dried up. The merchants were |
| their longships and retreated back to the | | | | doomed and a continent that had become more |
| colder climes of Greenland, and 1492AD, when | | | | or less dependant on this trade suddenly felt |
| the Spanish caravels, with Columbus so | | | | the need to find an alternative route to |
| confident at the helm, accidentally stumbled | | | | regain access to this lucrative market.At |
| across the forgotten continent.The period, | | | | that time Portugal was the leading maritime |
| collectively known as the Renaissance, saw a | | | | nation in Europe, holding vital access to the |
| general revival of interest in intellectual | | | | Atlantic Ocean, the unknown frontier and as a |
| thought. Science was studied, with fresh | | | | few believed the real key to access the |
| experiments conducted and new conclusions | | | | eastern markets. As they started to explore |
| drawn, laws were introduced to control the | | | | into this ocean they first found tiny chains |
| growing populations and to create more stable | | | | of islands - Madeira, the Canary Islands, the |
| societies, medicines were used to cure | | | | Azores and the Cape Verde Islands - but they |
| illness and prolong life, astonomers peered | | | | then turned their ships southwards to chart |
| farther into the unknown universe, while | | | | the continent of Africa. The Atlantic was |
| geographers mapped and plotted the earth.All | | | | still too big, too unknown, and they decided |
| of these advances were aided by the invention | | | | to play it safe and stick to the coastline. |
| of the movable type and a working printing | | | | Their plan was to try and get around the tip |
| press, which for the first time made books | | | | of Africa and then to access Asia across the |
| and maps easy to produce and allowed | | | | Indian Ocean. This was a safe route, making |
| knowledge to be readily available to | | | | sense on the maps of the time, as to their |
| all.While Spain united to drive out the Moors | | | | knowledge the American continent quite simply |
| and the other major European countries | | | | did not exist.How things were going to |
| generally moved closer to becoming nation | | | | change!This excerpt is taken from the third |
| states, so the merchants also started to | | | | chapter of Discovery - The Story of America |
| trade with far-off places and in particular | | | | by Anthony Treasure. This book is already |
| with the other main hubbub of civilization, | | | | published in the UK (listed on Amazon.co.uk) |
| namely the East (principally China, India and | | | | and is due to be published in the US at a |
| Persia).This trade brought all sorts of | | | | later date. For now it is published as an |
| attractive items into daily use and it wasn't | | | | ebook and as a SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER |
| long before Europe started to thrive on this | | | | Discovery Part One is available to download |
| vital commerce, though events were suddenly | | | | COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE. Three further |
| brought to a premature halt by the rise of | | | | titles - Discovery Part Two, Colonization |
| the Muslems in the Middle East who moved to | | | | Part One and Colonization Part Two are also |
| blockade the profitable trade routes.When | | | | out as ebooks and can be bought and |
| Constantinople, the established base of the | | | | downloaded from the website. |
| Christian Byzantium Empire, finally fell to | | | | |