What were the religious and economic reasons behind the European exploration of north America?

The primary motives of European explorers were economic. The supply of precious metals was finite, and monarchs hoped to find large deposits of gold and silver in the Americas. Aside from the possibility of treasure, the European governments aimed to find a passage through the Americas to Asia. Their hope was for a faster, safer trip to the Indies, avoiding dangerous waters and marauding pirates. Sailing west to reach the Indies also would avoid Arab middlemen in trade, meaning the merchants would have paid far less in trade costs. The discovery of new peoples also opened up the possibilities for an entirely new trading sphere