Connections Between the Age of Exploration and Present Day

Sophia Whitesel

In this paper I seek to discuss how the journeys of explorers from the Age of Exploration,
which took place in the fourteen to eighteen hundreds, relates to the present day. The Age of
Exploration was very complex. In order to obtain a full understanding on these different
perspectives, comparisons have been made. I argue that the age of Exploration can be related to
present day topics such as the space race, the Odyssey, and the control and value of oil. No
matter what the time period is, countries have gone through reoccurring themes. Some of these
reoccurring themes include the search for wealth, power, and leadership. I will prove this by
comparing the Space Race to the control of spices, the Odyssey to the explores on the search for
new routes and wealth, and the authority over oil to spices. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, What has been
will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
First, I will prove how the age of Exploration relates to the space race. The website
softschools.com states, After da Gamas success in setting up trading post, the Portuguese begin
to capture key parts around the Indian Ocean. It later claims that, A group of wealthy
merchants found the Dutch East India Company, which furthers their quest to be the major
European power in the east. Portugal controlled the spice trade between Europe and Asia.
However, the Dutch (now known as the Netherlands) challenged Portuguese domination in Asia.
The Dutch released fleets to Asia and returned pepper, cloves, and other spices to Amsterdam, as
a result spices began to spread to Europe and become more easily available to the people. During
the space race Russia and America competed to make greater and more monumental trips to
space. In the end America was the first to have man walk on the moon. Therefore, the fight for

control over spices relates to the Russia (USSR) and the United States of America (USA) during
the space race.
Next, I will juxtapose the classic book, The Odyssey, to the voyages of explorers during
the Age of Exploration. Some of the explorers that will be compared are Vasco da Gama and
Christopher Columbus. Source eyewitnesstohistory.com declares, In order to mollify his crews
apprehensions, Columbus kept two sets of logs: one showing the true distance traveled each day
and one showing a lesser distance. The first log was kept secret. Odysseus tries to keep his crew
calm when sailing on their journey by giving them a pep-talk and asking for their trust, like when
they past the temptations of the singing sirens. In the face of adversity, Vasco da Gama was able
to keep his crew at ease because they knew he was experienced and had an idea of the route they
were traveling. He did this by writing positive logs for reinforcement and to show the trust he
had in them, hoping that they would equivocate faith in him. As Odysseus and Columbus have
exemplified, in order to keep a crew calm during hardship and danger maintaining a positive
attitude in hardship and danger is needed to achieve the final goal.
Lastly, I will appose the value and control over oil and spices. OPEC, or Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries, controls and adjusts the worlds oil prices. According to
opec.org, OPEC member countries have made significant additions to their oil reserves in
recent years, for example, by adopting best practices in the industry, realizing intensive
explorations and recoveries. As a result, OPECs proven oil reserves stand at 1206.00 billion
barrels. Oil is something that had been used in the everyday lives of humans for a number of
years now. Just as oil is a valuable commodity now, spices were of great appraisal during the Age
of Exploration. During that time, the pepper at Giant Eagle would have cost a years rent as a
result of supply and demand. Oil is plentiful in the continent of Asia and sought out by other

countries, equivalently spices were wanted not only for their price but the journey to receive
them.
In conclusion, there are many connections that can be made between the Age of
Exploration and today. Subjects such as the space race, the Odyssey, and the control and value of
oil can respectively be related to the Portuguese and Dutch fighting control over the spice trade,
explorers, and spices. As discussed previously, the space race and control of the spices trade both
consisted of two countries battling for domination. Odysseus was compared to Christopher
Columbus and Vasco da Gama. Each of these men had different techniques on how to sail a
smooth journey. Odysseus showed trust in his crew and proclaimed pep-talks, Vasco da Gama
exemplified prior knowledge of the journey about to be undertaken which earned the crews trust.
Christopher Columbus offered the members on board positive reinforcement to keep their spirits
and faith high. Finally, both oil and spices had proven to be valuable elements both today and in
history because of supply and demand. No matter what the time period is, reoccurring themes
repeat themselves, the search for goods as well as traits like leadership and control are valued.