The Renaissance led to people being fascinated by things that they heard about. People clamored for pepper, cinnamon, silk, perfumes, spices, and precious stones because they heard about them. Merchants figured that they could make a lot of money by getting these rare goods to the people who wanted them. Thus, leading the merchants to trade with the Arabs, Persia and India. Trading led to people wanting to find easier routes to Asia. This led to exploration. I suppose that the Renaissance has a lot to do with how the east-west trade started. However, i do not think that trade has to do with something that led to the renaissance. I hope this helps a bit. I suppose that trading led to the exchange of new ideas and a fascination to explore and become more familiar with the world around them and what happened before.

Along with trade came an exchange of information. Good roads made for easier trade and people just got together and exchanged ideas, much like the internet.