this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2025
299 points (84.2% liked)
History Memes
3233 readers
1145 users here now
A place to share history memes!
Rules:
-
No sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, assorted bigotry, etc.
-
No fascism, atrocity denial or apologia, etc.
-
Tag NSFW pics as NSFW.
-
Follow all Lemmy.world rules.
Banner courtesy of @setsneedtofeed@lemmy.world
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Could be reverse causality? Rich and industrializing countries have the money and resources to send out explorers and start colonies.
If you're not on the rise already, you're probably not throwing away ships on suicide missions.
Prestige projects are an ancient endeavor, though. The Norse, for example, were not exactly awash in riches during the height of their exploratory voyages, but a few desperate men or leaders with little else to their name (or boundless ambition) can make a massive difference.
In any case, Europe's economic success is largely concentrated post-Columbus; at the time of Columbus, Europe was not particularly wealthy compared to the competing states. There are European advantages which contributed to the decision, but I don't think wealth or industry is a compelling factor.