The impact of colonialism From voyages of trade and discovery to
colonisation: This section of the grade 10 curriculum was
developed in 2009. While much of the content is still relevant
to the new curriculum, the focus is slightly different. However,
it provides for great further reading. In this section you will
look at how the expansion of European trade led to the
establishment of fortified trading stations and eventually
permanent European settlements in the Americas, Africa and
India. Early European voyages of trade and discovery The
powerful Ottoman Empire blocked European access to markets in
the East. The Ottoman Turks controlled trade routes to the East.
The main reason why Europeans began to search for a sea route to
the East was to avoid paying expensive customs duties, or taxes.
The rulers of every country between India and Europe charged a
tax on the spice shipments as the goods passed through their
land. Europeans used spices such as salt, nutmeg and cloves to
preserve their meat, as they did no