Religion has always been a significant aspect of all cultures. Religion has been the motivation for many great things and many not so great things. Religions spread and brought new believers and others converted from one religion to another. For most religions, the spread of God's word is undertaken by missionaries. This also applies to Christianity. The role of the Christian missionary was to spread the word of God to all. The motivation to spread the word of God has been a very important part of Western exploration. In addition to spreading the word of God, the accumulation of wealth and therefore power have also been great factors in motivating people to explore the Western world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayPortugal took the lead in Western exploration after successfully expelling Muslims from the country of Portugal. The power created by such a successful expulsion of foreigners and the religious fervor of the missionaries encouraged Portugal's rulers to seek conquests in Africa. Portuguese rulers were attracted by the possibility of causing harm to the Muslim world and hunger for wealth (Stearns 34). In 1498, Vasco Da Gama, a Portuguese sailor, left Portugal and sailed to Calicut, India. He was asked why he did this and he said Christians and spices. The mass conversion of people to the religion of Roman Catholicism and the accumulation of spices, fine fabrics, and other Asian goods were what drove him to Calicut, India. Vasco da Gama's desire for Christians and spices was typical of most explorers of the time. Either people went to convert the masses or to find wealth or even both (Stearns 150). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Not all countries were as interested in the spread of Roman Catholicism as other countries were. The Protestant English and Dutch had little interest in converting to Christianity. Yet the spread of Roman Catholicism was an essential part of the worldwide operation of the Portuguese and Spanish.