Long distance trade connected the three continents of North America, Europe, and Africa. Ideas, food, animals, diseases, crops, etc, were transferred along the "triangle trade."
New trading partners opened up new markets for goods. Goods that were common in one area became exotic and valuable in new lands.
The triangle trade also impacted all three societies. New crops and livestock sustained larger, more advanced populations. On the other hand, new diseases destroyed populations in North America.
Explorers who traveled to new lands were driven by a desire to learn about new areas. This led to the Renaissance, a time of learning and discovery.
