Which nation was responsible for sending the first explorers to the New World?

The correct answer is that the Portuguese were the first nation to send explorers to the New World, particularly during the Age of Discovery in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. This era was marked by significant European exploration and maritime expeditions, and the Portuguese were at the forefront with explorers like Vasco da Gama, who was instrumental in opening sea routes to India, and later explorers like Pedro Álvares Cabral, who is credited with the discovery of Brazil in 1500.

The motivations behind Portuguese exploration included the pursuit of trade, the desire to spread Christianity, and the search for new lands. Their early navigational advancements and establishment of trade routes set the stage for other nations, particularly Spain, to follow suit in their own explorations and colonization efforts.

While Spain is often recognized for its early conquests and establishment of colonies in the Americas, particularly following Christopher Columbus’s voyages in 1492, it was the Portuguese who initiated exploration westward across the Atlantic much earlier. This detail clarifies the contributions of the Portuguese as a starting point in the European exploration of the New World.