Marco Polo Research Paper

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Heroic Explorer “I do not tell half of what I saw because no one would have believed me,” were Marco Polo’s last words when a priest asked him if he wanted to admit his stories were false (Childress 117). Marco Polo is the most well known heroic travelers and traders of the Middle Ages. Traveling to different countries, he learned about their customs, traditions, and culture (Childress 112). He became very acclaimed for all the experiences he had in his life. Marco Polo’s early life was tragic because of his mother dying, and his father not being there when he was born, but he also had lots of opportunities. According to the author Diana Childress in her book Marco Polo’s Journey To China, Marco was born in Venice, Italy in 1254 (Childress…show more content…
Marco, Niccolo, and Maffeo were the first Europeans to venture this far to the east. The Polos took an interpreter and slave boy with them to help cook, and set up camp each night (Childress 117). Marco Polo, who was a bright, curious teenager, sailed out of Venice on a journey to China. They set off when Marco was seventeen years old (Childress 119). Marco kept a notebook with him throughout his adventure. During this journey, he was astonished at the number of people in China, even though he left Venice, which was the biggest, busiest, and wealthiest city in Europe. Venice was a magical kingdom rising at the high tide out of a shimmering expanse of water, and in spite of this, he was still amazed at the beauty of China (Childress 143). The money also impressed him, because he didn’t think people would accept little rectangles of flattened mulberry bark stamped with the Khan’s seal in place of gold or silver coins, which were the currency of Europe. Marco noticed the large stone buildings where all the merchants who came from India store their merchandise (Peters). Marco Polo is famous for many reasons, but is most famous for meeting the Mongol prince, Kublai Khan in Beijing, China. Niccolo, Maffeo, and Marco were well received by Kublai Khan (Anderson). The Polos impressed the prince with their intelligence and knowledge of the world. Kublai Khan kept them around for several years and then sent them to Rome as his messengers with a request that the pope send one hundred Europeans to share their knowledge with him. While in China, the Polos gained many riches of gold and jewels

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