Why were the Spanish and Portuguese so interested in finding new ways to get to Asia?(1 point) Responses They wanted to have more control over trade by avoiding the use of middlemen. They wanted to have more control over trade by avoiding the use of middlemen. They wanted to use new sailing technologies. They wanted to use new sailing technologies. They had never traveled to Asia before. They had never traveled to Asia before. Europeans could not trade over land or the Mediterranean Sea.
All three responses are correct:
1) They wanted to have more control over trade by avoiding the use of middlemen. The Spanish and Portuguese sought direct access to the lucrative Asian markets and desired to bypass the intermediaries, such as the Arab and Italian merchants, who controlled the overland routes and the Mediterranean trade.
2) They wanted to use new sailing technologies. The Spanish and Portuguese were motivated by advancements in navigation, shipbuilding, and cartography, such as the invention of the compass, the development of more seaworthy ships like the caravels, and the improvement of map-making techniques. These new technologies allowed them to venture further into unknown waters and explore previously uncharted territories.
3) Europeans could not trade overland or across the Mediterranean Sea. The conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453 severely restricted European trade routes to Asia. The Ottomans now controlled the land routes previously used by European merchants, and their dominance over the Mediterranean hindered European maritime trade. Thus, Europeans sought alternative sea routes to reach the Asian markets.