Explore
"To boldly go where no man has gone before." More than any other statement, the introduction to Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, exemplifies the spirit of exploration. Where no man has gone before is unknown and mysterious, and often dangerous. Most of earth's creatures fear the unknown, and with good reason, as one cannot prepare for that which he does not know. Regardless of the dangers, man has always sought out the unknown, to explain the mysterious. It is this trait which helps separate humanity from the rest of the animal kingdom.
Most expeditions, however, do not begin with thoughts of virtue, but instead with thoughts of profit. Marco Polo explored the middle east to find a new trade route to Asia. He not only succeeded in finding and creating a new trade route with Asia: he also found new markets for trading. With the profits that came with finding new markets, it comes as little surprise when explorers began searching for new civilizations, or a new world, that could bring even more profit to those involved.
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People have explored for many reasons. Some people explore simply to know the unknown. While others wish to receive the glory of being the first. Some expeditions begin not for the collection of knowledge, but, rather, for the spreading of it. Case in point would be the crusades. The crusaders went in search of the holy land, and along the way they would spread their teachings to those they considered less civilized.
Although there were many ventures into the Middle East and Asia no one found the new world which they so hoped for. Early explorers, such as the Vikings, found the new world, but they never made their discovery well known. Although the Vikings were the first to step foot on the new world, and for the most part Christopher Columbus is credited with its discovery, it was not until Amerigo Vespucci traveled to the new world and back did the rest of the world know that there was another continent on the earth. They first called this new continent the New World, and with good reason. This new world was inhabited by creatures that were as alien to them as martians would be to us. To the explorers of the fifteenth century America was a new world unlike any other mankind will ever know again. We now know more about Mars than they knew about America back then.
After the colonization of America there was still the rest of America to explore, namely, the west. In one of the few expeditions that was not for commercial purposes, and one of the most well known, Luis and Clark headed west. Their purpose for exploring the west was simply to find out what was out there, in the west. On their journey Luis and Clark were among the first to encounter the plains Indians. The colonists soon began to expand towards the west. The major factor in the American moving west was, like so many others, commercial. The discovery of gold in California caused a rush out to the western coast.
	With the western region of America explored and settled one unexplored frontier was left. Alaska is a vast region inhospitable land. As with California many people were willing to risk everything they had to find gold. Unlike California, or any other new territory that was explored, the first explorers had to adopt the native's lifestyle in order to survive. Among other things the explorers donned the parka of the Eskimos.
	"Space, the final frontier." With Alaska settled and explored it seemed there was nothing left to explore. When the United Soviet Socialist Republic launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, into space it opened up whole new possibilities for exploration. In America there was suddenly great emphasis on education so that America would not be left behind by the U.S.S.R.. On July 20, 1969 Americans accomplished what many people throughout history thought was impossible, man walked on the moon. If any celestial object is ever colonized, mankind must look back upon the exploration and settlement of their ancestors' New World, America. Some people say that man may never adapt to living on another planet, but reflection on the settlement of America should prove them wrong. Of the new worlds that man will ever know, none will be more alien, more unknown, more fascinating than the one we now call America.
	Exploration has allowed us access to knowledge of places we have never stepped foot on. With satellite photographs and planetary landers we now know almost as much about Mars as we do about Earth. As such much of the mystery is gone. Without exploration, without the bold who dare, much of the unknown would have remained just that. Many great and wonderful things would have gone undiscovered, unloved, and uncherished, but most of all, many of man's most virtuous deeds would have remained undone.