Compare And Contrast Christopher Columbus And Vasco Da Gama

Christopher Columbus and Alvez Nunez Cabeza de Vaca were both explorers for Spain, but under different rulers and different times. The more famous, Christopher Columbus, came before de Vaca’s time. Columbus sailed a series of four voyages between 1492 and 1504 in search for a route to Asia which led accidentally to his discovery of new land inhabited with Indians. Christopher sailed under the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella for his journey to the “Indies,” whom he was loyal to by claiming everything in their name. De Vaca , followed in Christopher’s footsteps and journeyed to Hispanionola for Spain’s emperor, Charlves V, the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella. Both, Columbus and de Vaca composed a series of letters addressing the

Christopher Columbus was an Italian who worked on behalf of, King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I. The Spanish monarchs’ ultimate goals were to find a trade routine to India, Asia and to spread the Catholic religion to others. They financed Columbus with the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria to find a western route to India. Thinking that it was India, Columbus found land. In his journal, Columbus described his first account of the natives as “they were very friendly to us, and perceived that they could be much more easily converted to our holy faith by gentle means than by force” (“Fordham University”). Also, he plans for them to be great servants so they “may learn our language” (“Fordham University”). He says

He asked the King and Queen of Spain to finance the trip and after them declining several times, they finally decided to finance the trip. After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Christopher Columbus believed he had reached Asia, it was actually “New World”. When they finally found land, they called the people Indians because they thought they were in the Indies. There he encountered a group of natives who were open to trade with the sailors exchanging glass beads, cotton balls, parrots and spears. For months, Columbus sailed from island to island in what looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise” that he had promised to his Spanish patrons, but he did not find many riches. Columbus did not find the spices and silks he was searching for or had expected, but he was compelled to return to Spain with new goods to justify his venture. He filled his ships with exotic flora and fauna as well as natives themselves. Thirty-nine of Christopher Columbus crew members stayed behind to occupy the settlement in a makeshift settlement on Hispaniola. As soon as the ships were docked, sickness broke out among the

Christopher Columbus and Cabeza de Vaca were both well experienced explorers of the New World. They both traveled to the New World to find out what was out there and if what they would find, could help them and their country. In the narratives, “Letter of Discovery” by Christopher Columbus and Castaways by Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, they exemplified the overall environment of the New World. Each explorer had quite the experience within the New World and interactions with the natives but they were not quite the same. Columbus’ journey consisted of learning about the new land and obtain resources to bring back to his country. Cabeza de Vaca also wanted to find resources and goods but mainly wanted to explore the land and try to understand if it was possible to create a society alongside the natives. As they went into the New World, they had found new discoveries but their purpose of the journey lead them down paths that would give off two different perspectives.

The early voyages by the Portuguese and Spanish were motivated by gold, trade and the spread of the Catholic faith through religious conversion. The voyages of a few adventurers show that the Spanish and Portuguese goals were to spread Catholicism, expand trade, and expand the kingdom of the Spanish and the Portuguese to the new lands they’ve discovered. These adventures were Christopher Columbus who attempted to find a new route to Asia to extend Spain’s trade and to colonize, Bartholomew Columbus and his successful founding of Santo Domingo, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and his

Christopher Columbus was a greedy man. The deal that was made with Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand made it to where Columbus received 10% of all valuable ‘merchandise’ such as pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and any other objects that he ‘acquired’ in any territory that is claimed (https://www.biography.com/.amp/news/christopher-columbus-day-facts ). Columbus was also to be named admiral, Viceroy, and Governor or the land he claims for Spain. Columbus stood to gain wealth and power in this agreement. When Christopher Columbus sailed West, he might have been going on good intentions, however, when he got to the lands, Columbus had only saw his greed.

Columbus and Cortez believed the Spanish cause is worthy and all of their actions were justified, De Las Casas also did believe the Spanish cause was worth but to some extent. Columbus stated “their Highnesses can see that I will give them as much gold as they require, if they will render me some very slight assistance; also I will give them all the spices and cotton they want … I should have done much more if the ships had been reasonably serviceable, but this is enough” (Columbus,122). Columbus is stating in this in the conclusion of his letter, which means he will give the natives whatever they want in exchange for taking them as slaves, in this sense giving them whatever they want it is justified for enslaving them and taking them to Spain. Cortez stated “I forbade them

The Natives that Christopher Columbus came across upon embraced the Spanish with open arms. Columbus in his writing addressed how he felt about the Natives: "The Natives are an inoffensive people, and so desirous to possess any thing they saw with us." (Columbus, Journal, Par. 9). Columbus states on Sunday, 14th October that he and the Spanish stumbled upon two or three new villages. The native people all came down to the shore: "Calling out to us and giving thanks to God, Some brought us water and others victuals: others seeing that I was not disposed to land, plunged into the sea and swam out to us" (Columbus, Journal, Par. 10). At three o' clock Columbus acknowledges when he sent the boat on the shore: "The natives with great good will directed the men where to find it, assisted them in carrying the casks full of it to the boat, and seemed to take great pleasure in serving us." (Columbus, Journal, Par. 15). Compared to Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortes also was embraced with open arms by the Aztecs. Cortes introduction to the Aztec people began

Once the New World was revealed, several explorers were sent to claim land for the countries they represented. One explorer was Hernando Cortez who was sent by Spain to claim the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. John Cabot was sent to explore what is now Canada by King Henry VII of England. Another notorious explorer would be Christopher Columbus who initially was the first to actually find the New World. Although explorers come from different countries, they all share a desire to accumulate land and wealth.

Explorers like Christopher Columbus and Bartolome de Las Casas have very different views on exploring the world around them and how to treat the people they encounter. From the year they were born to their outcomes Columbus and Las Casas are very different. While Columbus was born in 1451 and was a Genoese sailor, Las Casa was born in 1483 and was a priest who spoke out zealously against forced labor, torture, and murder. Las Casas was actually in the parade to honor Columbus’ return. While Columbus was influenced by the thirteenth century voyages of Marco Polo, Las Casas was at first influenced by Columbus until he became convinced of the injustices perpetrated against Indians by 1514 when he started taking holy orders and reaching to god

Cortes and Columbus Views on the Indigenous People During the Age of Exploration, Christopher Columbus and Hernando Cortes are two of the most recorded encounters of Native Americans. Both explorers had various different encounters with the indigenous people that they made voyage with. Each encounter was by a different explorer and were twenty-seven years apart, as well as many miles apart. With each encounter comes a difference in sophistication and how technologically advanced the Native Americans by Hernando Cortes in the Meso-America to those of the Native Americans encountered by Christopher Columbus on the islands of the Caribbean. Cortes and Columbus were sent out to discover the new Eastern lands. As they set sail to their

The role of religion in Christopher Columbus played a very important role in his belief of a divine order and the discovery of the new worlds. This can be identified in his letter to Louis de Santangel regarding his first voyage. The very first line of his letter Columbus states, “As I know that you will be pleased at the great victory with which Our Lord and savior has crowned my voyage.” Then as his letter progresses it describes the many discovers including land, animals, plants and the natives who he says,” They do not hold any creed nor are they idolaters: but they all believe that power and good are in the heavens and they are firmly convinced that I, with these ships and men came from the heavens.” With his religious belief that a

They should be good and intelligent servants, for I see that they say very quickly everything that is said to them; and I believe that they would become Christians very easily, for it seemed to me that they had no religion” (Columbus 2). Through these words, it can be recognized that Columbus had other plans in mind than just exploring for new land. His motives are blatantly clear that he wanted to convert the Indians to Christians to use them as slaves to do his work on his ‘new found territory’.

Some would say that Christopher Columbus was a devout Christian. He believed that "his was a mission that would put Christian civilization on the offensive after centuries of Muslim ascendancy" (Dor-Ner 45). Columbus' original mission was to find a western route to the Indies. But when that failed, his mission became clear: convert these new people to Christianity. Throughout this paper I will show the view of the natives by Columbus and Christendom and how these views changed over a span of fifty years.

On October 11, 1492, Genoese explorer Christopher Colombus, funded by the Spanish empire, made landfall on the coast of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Islands. Upon reaching the shore, Columbus and his men were immediately surrounded by the indigenous Taino people who accepted the newcomers onto their land. The natives marvelled at the simple, crude items which were “presented [to] them [including] red caps, and strings of beads to wear upon the neck, and many other trifles of small value, wherewith they were much delighted,” with the goods the Europeans exchanged with them. Europeans had come to the Western Hemisphere to reap the natural resources for the benefit of the Mother Country and to explore vast new lands for gold and silver reserves that might bring unparalleled wealth and power to their nation. Fueled by the desire to replicate previous successful Spanish conquests such as those led by Hernan Cortes in Mexico and Francisco Pizarro in South America, the Spanish sent explorers to the New World to continue their dominance of territorial expansion in the late 15th century. Standing in the path of this goal were the indigenous tribes that dominated the landscape. The forced conversion of thousands of natives to Christianity was justified by the Spanish in the same manner as their quest for new lands. The European "expansion of the faith was inextricably intertwined with military glory and economic profit”, and the Spanish pursued the spreading of the Christian faith in