Question

Which of the following best explains why the price of spices in Europe imported by the Portuguese declined?(1 point)
Responses

Bartolomeu Dias was able to find vast amounts of spices in south Africa.
Bartolomeu Dias was able to find vast amounts of spices in south Africa.

The Venetians sold the spices for less because they were so powerful they didn’t need the money.
The Venetians sold the spices for less because they were so powerful they didn’t need the money.

There was no longer a tax placed on goods from Muslim trader and Venetian intermediaries.
There was no longer a tax placed on goods from Muslim trader and Venetian intermediaries.

European desire for spices decreased and people were no longer interested in Asian luxury goods.
European desire for spices decreased and people were no longer interested in Asian luxury goods.

Answer 1

Correct answer: "There was no longer a tax placed on goods from Muslim trader and Venetian intermediaries."

Brief explanation: Portuguese sailors established a direct sea route to Asia (around Africa), bypassing the Muslim and Venetian middlemen who had previously controlled overland and Mediterranean trade. That cut out intermediary taxes and markups and increased supply, so European prices for spices fell.