Between 1450-1650, the Spanish and Portuguese explored and colonized much of the world. The Spanish explored westward while the Portuguese explored eastward. Their main motivations were to find safer trade routes for spices from Asia, gain new lands and resources for their kingdoms, convert native peoples to Christianity, and pursue wealth and fame. New ship technologies like the caravel and navigation tools like the compass enabled these voyages. Notable figures included Columbus, who sailed west to reach Asia but landed in the Americas, and Portuguese explorers like Da Gama and Diaz who reached Asia by sailing around Africa. The conquests had massive consequences, including the destruction of native American civilizations, European colonization of the Americas