8
For tune
Hunting
i
The frozen Arctic Sea made early
exploration impossible. It was not until
1905 that Roald Amundsen found a way
through the Northwest Passage.
Jean Le Veneur
suggests that
Cartier should lead
an expedition to
the New World.
1532
From the early 1400s, Europe’s rulers wanted to increase
their
trade
with countries in Asia.
Asia had riches such as
spices, tea, and silks. Europeans believed the East was also
full of gold and precious jewels. However, the routes to
Asia were difficult. Long overland pathways went through
mountains, deserts, and armed territories. Sea routes around
Africa took months, and ocean storms could be dangerous.
To avoid these difficult and dangerous journeys, merchants
had to get their goods from middlemen, such as Arabian
traders
. These traders obtained the goods from
Asia, then charged the Europeans high prices. So
Europeans began looking for a different, direct
way to travel to the East. They wanted to find
a northern sea route from the Atlantic Ocean
to the Pacific Ocean. This new route would
become known as the Northwest Passage.
