文艺复兴时期的文学（英文）.pptVIP

RENAISSANCE LITERATURE Voyages to New Worlds Since the times of the Crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries, Europe had been trading with the East. There was an increased demand for exotic Eastern spices, cloth, and wood, which created new wealth for traders and merchants Voyages to New Worlds The Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453 temporarily blocked the overland route to the East, so new trade routes were needed. People started to explore. 1492—Italian explorer Christopher Columbus attempted to reach the east by sailing west across the Atlantic. 1498—Vasco da Gama, commissioned by