The spread of the humanist ideals of the Renaissance was financed by an economic boom spurred by the growth of trade. Between 1400 and 1600, many powerful European countries competed to discover new trade routes to foreign lands. They hoped to find new products to sell at home as well as develop new markets abroad to sell the goods they brought from their own countries. This fierce competition resulted in an unprecedented era of European colonialism.

National treasuries bulged with riches. The Spanish conquistadors who pillaged North and South America paid a portion of their profits to the Spanish Crown. All conquered land was owned by Spain and all goods coming in were heavily taxed. Other European countries followed the same basic pattern and also became significantly wealthier. That wealth allowed them to build large, well-equipped armies that gave them more independence...