Bread and butter, silks and jewels, dollars and cents, and, incidentally, the closing up of the overland trade-routes to India, were the things that caused the voyages of discovery.

With the fall of Constantinople, in 1453, the Turks blocked the way of the caravans to India.

The traders of Europe had to find another route.

Here was the original cause for the voyages of discovery.

Columbus sailed to find a new route to the Indies.