Influence: Marco Polo.

The tales of Marco Polo led indirectly to the discovery of the americas and were a major influence on European explorers and adventurers seeking good trade and riches. His report arose great Interest in the Portueguese, Spanish, English, and French, who then began searching for a more efficient rout to Asia. Take for example Christopher Columbus. With the Portuguese already in control of the coast of Africa and the Muslims controlling the mediterranean, leaving Columbus with the intention of sailing west until he would eventually hit east and Asia. To him, Marco Polo's "travelogue" was a major solid resource on which he could base his calculations, although proving wrong. Polo's stories of riches and a barbaric peoples greatly influenced Columbus's greed. Although claiming conquest on a christian basis, thoughts of great wealth were not far from his mind as well as others following him, such as, Cortes. With advanced weaponry, drive, and disease on their side, Europeans were eventually able to overcome the Native Americans and expose Europe to the Americas once accidentally reaching their destination.