Answer:
There were two reasons for the motivations of Europeans to seek new trade routes:
Option A) to find new areas to colonize
and Option B) to cut out the "middleman" in the exchange of goods
Explanation:
In the 14th and 15th Centuries, European nations were exploring new countries all over the world to colonize. What began as expeditions by Spain and Portugal eventually led all European nations to start their own similar programs.
Also, as the Ottoman Empire became stronger in the Middle East, they began to charge trading ships passing through their seas. In response, many European nations began to look for alternative routes to reach supply sources.
With lots of middlemen in the market, Europeans were looking to gain vast riches through new trading routes.
