The European exploration of the Americas was most directly made possible by and .

Mercantilism and navigation technology.

Explanation:

European exploration and colonization of America began after Columbus's trip there in 1492. The first colonies to conquer part of the continent were the Spanish and the Portuguese, who quickly conquered most of South and Central America. Navigating nations like the English, French, and Dutch followed suit and conquered islands in the Caribbean called the West Indies, and later parts of North America.

The main motivation of these nations was to find new territories where to establish colonies producing raw materials, with the objective of supplying their markets and producing manufactured goods, which in turn were sold to the colonies. In turn, advances in shipping technology, especially the development of more advanced sailing ships, allowed Europeans to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an effort to meet their objectives.