European and American voyages of scientific exploration

The era of European and American voyages of scientific exploration followed the Age of Discovery^[1] and were inspired by a new confidence in science and reason that arose in the Age of Enlightenment. Maritime expeditions in the Age of Discovery were a means of expanding colonial empires, establishing new trade routes and extending diplomatic and trade relations to new territories, but with the Enlightenment scientific curiosity became a new motive for exploration to add to the commercial and political ambitions of the past.^[2] See also List of Arctic expeditions and List of Antarctic expeditions.