Editing Commercial revolution (section)

===Geopolitical factors===
In 1453, the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turks]] took over [[Constantinople]], which cut off (or significantly increased the cost of) overland trade routes between Europe and the Far East,<ref>{{cite book |title=New York: the World's Capital City, Its Development and Contributions to Progress |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.226262 |chapter=Chapter 1 |author=Rankin, Rebecca B., Cleveland Rodgers |publisher=Harper |year=1948}}</ref> so alternative routes had to be found. English laws were changed to benefit the navy, but had commercial implications in terms of farming. These laws also contributed to the demise of the [[Hanseatic League]], which traded in northern Europe.<ref>{{cite book | title=The Growth of English Industry and Commerce in Modern Times | author= Cunningham, William | author-link= William Cunningham (economist) | page= 26 | year=1892 | publisher = University Press}}</ref> Because of the [[Reconquista]], the Spanish had a warrior culture ready to conquer still more people and places, so Spain was perfectly positioned to develop their [[Spanish Empire|vast overseas empire]].<ref name="isbn0-449-90496-2">{{cite book |author=Weatherford, J. McIver |author-link=J. McIver Weatherford |title=Indian givers: how the Indians of the Americas transformed the world |publisher=Fawcett Columbine |location=New York |year=1988 |page=[https://archive.org/details/indiangivershow000weat/page/231 231] |isbn=0-449-90496-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/indiangivershow000weat/page/231 }}</ref>
Rivalry between the European powers produced intense competition for the creation of colonial empires, and fueled the rush to sail out of Europe.<ref>{{Cite book  | last1 = Diamond | first1 = Jared M. | title = Guns, germs, and steel: the fates of human societies | url = https://archive.org/details/gunsgermssteelfa0000diam | url-access = registration | year = 1997 | publisher = W.W. Norton | location = New York  | isbn = 0-393-03891-2 }}
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