In 1497 -1998 the Portuguese sailor Vasco Da Gama sailed around Africa and on to the west coast of India. This had tremendous effects, especially in the existing trade routes between Asia and Europe that used Asian land routes and the Mediterranean sea. Venice lost its trade monopoly (the silk road) and the European expansion overseas quickly gained momentum. Within a century the Dutch, the British and the Portuguese established their trade-centers in India (Goa), South East Asia (Malacca) and China (Macao).
The primary way in which the government encouraged settlement in the west was through the Homestead Act, which gave people free land--while the railroads allowed them to travel there safely.
He raised taxes, which irritated the citizens and led to uprisings. He decreased the size of the army, reducing Rome's defenses. He built a second capital in the East, which led to isolating the Empire.
