The Age of Discovery was a crucial aspect of the Renaissance. Shedding the geographic and intellectual provincialism of the Middle Ages, men embarked on journeys of exploration around the world in search of wealth and knowledge.

A companion to Mr. Lewis’s earlier series on European history, this course focuses on the fascinating story of European exploration during the Renaissance. At no other time in history have men deliberately explored more of their world—or discovered as much as they did—than during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Motivated by the possibility of trade with the Orient, first Portugal, then Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands organized expeditions that found far more than Europeans had imagined.

This course explores the voyages and discoveries—sponsored by men such as Prince Henry (the Navigator), and led by Bartholomew Diaz, Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan and others—which changed the world.