Queen Isabella and Columbus

Columbus' discovery of the New World turned existing knowledge and understanding fo the World on its head. He had been searching for an alternative route to the Spice Islands but had stumbled across the unknown continent of the Americas. His discovery set off a chain reaction from subsequent explorers as they sought first of all to find that route to the Orient and then to explore the extent and resources of these new lands. The Spanish would quickly come to dominate the exploration of the New World whilst the Portuguese would discover their own and more viable maritime routes to the Orient around the base of Africa. The English did get in on the act through sponsoring voyages from John and Sebastian Cabot, but their lack of success in finding a North West Passage diminished interest from the English Crown.