Title: How Did the Crusades Affect Exploration and Trade? | Synonym
Headings: How Did the Crusades Affect Exploration and Trade?
How Did the Crusades Affect Exploration and Trade?
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1 Transformations in Shipbuilding
2 Trade Turns to Exploration
3 A Cross-Cultural Exchange
4 Military Failure, Cultural Success

Content: 2 Trade Turns to Exploration
These riches, however, were scarce, and this led European explorers further afield in search of new trading opportunities -- the voyages of Marco Polo, begun as the last Crusades were drawing to a close, are a classic example of for-profit trading journeys turning into ones of exploration. Some historians claim that Christopher’s Columbus’ voyages to America were an indirect result of the Crusades, since one of Columbus' goals was to thwart "the sect of Mahomet," as he wrote in his journal. Going even further, Carol Delaney, author of “Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem," argues that Columbus’ first voyage was the direct result of a desire to find gold with which to finance a new Crusade to retake Jerusalem from the Muslims. ( However, this point of view is disputed by historians and remains highly controversial.) 3 A Cross-Cultural Exchange
Another effect of the Crusades was to expose Europe to Islamic science, mathematics, art and military science. Europeans learned about chess, algebra, Arabic numbers and irrigation from the Islamic world. Ironically, the Muslims became better builders of fortified castles after the Crusader invasions, and these innovations found their way back to Europe. Muslim universities, established as early as the 7th century, became models for European universities. And Muslims themselves benefited from the trade in textiles from Byzantium and northern Europe. 4 Military Failure, Cultural Success
The Crusades were a military failure for Christianity, since Christians did not ultimately succeed in their stated goal of recovering the Holy Land from the Muslims.