A

The late 15th and early 16th centuries saw rapid development of the textile industry in England，which created a need for larger markets.Traditionally，England was a major exporter of wool.However，by the middle of the 15th century，emphasis had shifted from the export of wool to the manufacture and export of unfinished woolen cloth because the Hundred Years’War reduced England’s wool market in Europe as it was controlled by France.The development of the textile industry pushed up the price of wool.High wool prices led in turn to the Enclosure Movement，in which many landlords enclosed large areas of arable land with fences to reserve them for sheep grazing.The fencing of these areas，which had previously been open for common use，caused great suffering for those who depended on the common land for a living and led to bitter resentment among the peasants.The result was a rebellion in 1549，in which angry peasants pulled down the fences that enclosed the grazing land，demanding the recovery of the common areas.The revolt was suppressed by the government and the development of the textile industry continued.

Europe as a whole saw increased economic production and an expansion in trade during the late 15th century，which created a need for more gold and silver.As a result，Europeans began to look to other parts of the world for new sources of supply.In the process of searching for gold，European explorers made geographical discoveries which would forever change the development of world history.

Soon the rush for gold transformed into a rush for spice.In 1488，the first European arrived in India by sailing across the Red Sea.In the same year，Portuguese navigator Bartholomew Diaz rounded the Cape of Good Hope，showing that sea voyages between Europe and the East via the African coast were possible.A decade later，another Portuguese，Vasco Da Gama，reached India via the African coast and brought back a cargo worth 60 times of the cost of the voyage.The Portuguese soon established a trading empire in the east，including Macau（Macao），a trading post on the southern coast of China.

While the Portuguese concentrated on the Indian Ocean，the Spanish set sail across the Atlantic Ocean，hoping to find a shorter route to the rich spice islands of the East Indies by sailing west.In 1492，Christopher Columbus，an Italian navigator in the service of Spain，reached the Caribbean islands off the American continent.Believing he had reached the East Indies，Columbus called the local people Indians.Later，Amerigo Vespucci，another Italian in Spanish service，explored the coast of South America and demonstrated that it was a new continent previously unknown to Europeans.The continent was named America in his honor.

The discovery of America was to have a tremendous impact on world history.It broadened people’s view of the world and led directly to European colonization of the western hemisphere.It also led to large⁃scale exchanges of plants，animals，cultures，and even bacteria between the two worlds，known as the Columbian Exchange.

However，the encounter between Europe and the Americas did not benefit the two sides equally.The arrival of Europeans brought disaster to the native people of the Americas.Millions of natives died from European diseases.The Spanish conquistadors destroyed the ancient Aztec Empire（in today’s Mexico）and the Inca civilization（in today’s Peru），took control of the gold mines there，killed great numbers of the local people，and enslaved many of the rest.

England did not join the race of exploration in earnest until the reign of Elizabeth I（1558—1603），although English sailor John Cabot had sailed to Newfoundland in North America in 1497 and claimed the region for England.

Elizabeth I（Queen of England from 1558 to 1603）

To promote trade，Queen Elizabeth I authorized the establishment of great trading companies，known as chartered companies.Chartered companies enjoyed special rights granted by the monarch，such as monopolies on trade in a given region or in certain goods.The best⁃known chartered company was the East India Company，founded in 1599.It monopolized trade with Asia，made treaties with foreign governments，and set up trading colonies in foreign countries.It even kept troops to back up its activities.The chartered companies brought huge amounts of wealth to England and served as the vanguards of British expansion and imperialism in faraway places.