The Correct Answer(S) Is - Since the Asians prided themselves on being self sufficient, the Europeans didn't have anything to trade with them. However, they wanted Asian goods, because they didn't know how to produce things like silk and tea in Europe. Therefore, they went off to explore the Americas to find new products. Obviously, the Asians didn't have American goods yet, so the Europeans wanted to go over there and get them so that way they would have something the Asians desired. One of the biggest discoveries in America were the silver mines, such as Potosi. China especially put a high value on silver, since they used it for their coins. Once the Europeans acquired this silver, China was willing to trade with them.
The Cuban Missle crisis was between the United States and the soviet union. This was during the cold war. In October 1962, the Soviet let out missles to Cuba, leading to a dangerous Cold War between the US and SU. It is significant in the way that the crisis was the closest the worst has ever came to a nuclear war.