Since Columbus discovered America in 1492 many European sailors tried to reach Asia by sailing towards the west and that is why one of their goal was to reach it by sailing towards the North. They weren't successful at the beginning because the weather condition and the conditions of sailing were bad and they weren't able to reach Asia through that route until 1906 when Roald Amundsen somehow managed to navigate this route.
Explanation:
Among the first Europeans who tried to find this passage were famous explorers, including John Cabot and Jack Cartier, but they both failed. It just proved the fact that it was practically impossible at the time to use this route.
