The caravel made global navigation possible. In so doing, It opened the world to Europe.
The first Portuguese - built caravel did what no other ship before had done. It expanded Europe's reach across the globe venturing into seas and part of the world that no other Europeans had been able to reach.
Christopher Columbus sailed three caravels to discover the New World. The caravel opened Africa to European exploration (and exploitation), and also opened the New World to European pilgrims seeking religious freedom, escaping religious persecution meted on them in their mother countries.
