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Christopher Columbus and his crew discovered the American continent in 1492 – and changed the history of the West. European countries began to compete with one another over discovering new lands. Maritime trade became an economic tool and grounds for war between kingdoms that hoped to control the New World.
The desire to cross oceans and discover new worlds – including the raw materials that came to Europe from the colonies – ultimately led to the industrial and scientific revolution that swept the Western world in the modern period.
