Exploration Discovery And Settlement 1492 Case Study

The Indian tribes of America created cultures that still exist in America today. The Mayas and Aztecs of Central America established empires that supported agriculture and long-distance trade. The Mayas created a calendar in silver, copper, gold and pearls. Then Mayas then founded the city of Tenochtitlan and built roads that encompassed about 5 million people. The natives of North America were nomadic, the Adena-Hopwell, Mississippian and Anasazi cultures emerged. There were approximately 240 different tribes speaking in different languages and they were primarily fishers and hunters. The Anasazi established trading centers that were sustained by comprehensive agriculture. The Chibchas and Incas created an empire similar to the Aztecs but on a smaller scale in the south. The Incas created a huge empire with as many as 12 million people and had a vast realm that stretched over 2,500 miles along the Andes Mountains. They had fertile farms, interconnected network of roads, and enduring buildings.

The imperial goals of the British, French, and Spanish in North America between 1580 and 1763 were similar in that all three European states sought to capture the wealth and commerce offered by the New World and in that they all used imperialism as a means of increasing the authority, territory, and influence of their state; however, the British, French, and Spanish imperialistic goals differed in that Britain's religious goals were those regarding asylum, while the French and Spanish sought to gain converts; moreover, the relationships the British, French, and Spanish wanted to form with the natives differed drastically. These goals continued to be a main focus of the British, French, and Spanish imperial efforts from 1580 to 1763. All three European powers sought to capture the wealth and commerce of the New World--namely, they sought to take advantage of the abundance of raw materials and the market for trade offered by North America--which caused economic and political tensions between the three states; therefore, the goal of capturing the wealth offered by the New World was the most significant goal and forged the relationships and tensions between the British, French, and Spanish in both North America and Europe.

With the inventions of more efficient ships and the perfection of navigational instruments, the Spanish (as well as England and France) gained a curiosity to explore and find a way to Asia by water and

It is evident that in 16th century Europe there existed both the motivation and the means to explore and colonize territory across the seas. As it can be said, “With the dawn of the 16th century, there came together in Europe both the motivation and the means to explore and colonize territory across the seas.” This statement is true to a large extent, especially in the areas of trade and technology. The physical means to explore and colonize came from the advances in technology that the Europeans had gone through, allowing them to sail far across the oceans and take over native populations easily. The motivation, on the other hand, came from trade-related reasons, such as the desire to trade new resources, to find gold, and to find new trade routes. Without the technology or trade at the dawn of the 16th century, there would not have been the means nor the motivation for Europeans to explore and colonize the New World.

No written history means much of Native American history is unknown, causing misconceptions and stereotypes about Native Americans to exist. Royal also discusses the name of this group that people label today as “Native Americans.” He questions, “ ‘America’ was a name formed in the wake of another Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci. It is difficult to see how being named after an Italian is less Eurocentric than being named after an East Native American” (Royal 46). The discussion about their name shows Europe’s influence on the Americas; it also shows that Native Americans yearn for their own identity without Europe’s input.

Economy and religion were the two sole reasons for colonizing America. Religion did play a role in the lives of settlers, but as more and more colonies emerged that permitted religious differences (such as Rhode Island) it seemed the thing that united the colonists together was not the need for a similar belief system, but the need for firm economic foundations that could be built upon. As a result of this, economic concerns far outweighed religious concerns as more and more settlers of different belief systems came to call upon the New World for a new set of

The discovery and colonization of the “New World” was one of the most significant and influential events in the known history of mankind. It has shaped our present by changing the course of our past and is a time of such great significance that it would be all but impossible to understand today without at least some comprehension of the why 's of yesterday. What was it that drove such a myriad of people to risk so much to tame the wild and vast lands we now know as and call the Americas. What were the reasons, motivations, causes, events, and possibilities that captured the minds and hearts of so many different peoples from such divers backgrounds? What led them to leave their friends, families, and

In the 16th century the Spanish had acquired wealth on account of South America. Since England had recently switched over to the Protestant church, Spain wanted to get enough money and a big enough army to defeat England and change it back to the Catholic church (Horn). Once England realized their plan they tried various ways to get the wealth they needed to dominate Spain. However, none of these ways resulted in the wealth they needed until they had realized they could colonize the New World. Sending the poor to the New World to colonize would solve England’s problems of overpopulation and a need for wealth (Horn). After multiple failed attempts to colonize the New World they finally reached success with the establishment of Jamestown, Virginia

America has come a long way since Columbus began his voyage in 1492. In “Beyond 1492: Encounter in Colonial North America,” James Axtell explains that when it comes to the Indian-European encounter, there’s more to the story than what the average person grasps. Most people know of how the Natives were mistreated and killed off by the Europeans with biological warfare and that a couple thousands of years later the Pilgrims and Natives had their first feast together known as “Thanksgiving”. However, in chapter four, Axtell’s essay describes that surprisingly, there was a “variety of ways Indians responded to the Europeans that invaded their lands in the wake of Columbus.” Axtell chronologically recapitulates the history of the Indian reactions to the European encounters up until the 1700’s and categorizes them into 5 strategies.

Compare the experience of the French, Spanish, and English in colonizing the New World. What common perception of the region did they share? Discuss the differences in their relationship with Native

The greed for gold and the race for El Dorado were the main inducements of the Spaniards who, at the peril of their lives, crossed the ocean in unfit vessels in a mad pursuit after the gold and all other precious property of the Indians” (Peace 479). The royal rulers of Spain made it a rule that nothing would jeopardize their ability to rob the land from the native people of Latin America. The missionary process, “had to be encouraged, but the missionaries could not be permitted to dominate the colony at the cost of royal rule” (Gibson 76). The European governments established missionaries to cleanse their minds of any guilt aroused by the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children. When European “ships arrived in the 16th century to colonize the land and exploit its natural resources, they killed indigenous people and brought black slaves from Africa. Millions of indigenous people were slain and their cultures completely destroyed by the process of colonization” (Ribero). The overall devastations caused by the Christianization of the native inhabitants created a blend of cultures within the indigenous civilizations which gradually isolated old native ways into a small population of oppressed people. The Christianized people became a symbol of loyalty to the European powers and were left alone simply on their religious status. This long term mission of total religious replacement caused very strong and advanced

Spanish purposes for colonization vs. English purposes of colonization: Motivated by Christianity, pride, and wealth, the Spanish men arrived to “serve God and the king, and get rich”. English motivation was less encouraged by Kings or Queens and more by ordinary people. Citizens wanted to get away from England, and the Americas was a perfect new place to go. They planned to permanently settle and not simply raid native cities for riches as the Spanish did.

Christopher Columbus left a legacy that has impacted much of the Americas and Europe as we see them today. As a young boy, Columbus had set his goals of becoming a sailor early on in life by attending a Portuguese school of seamanship also by teaching himself navigation and geography. These goals were driven by his eagerness to spread the word of religion and quite possibly the chance of Asia riches. Henceforth this need to spread his religion and obtain some riches along the way, Columbus open the door for future explorers and trade with the Americas.

There are many technology that would had help Christopher Columbus with his journey to Asia, however the main three are the global positioning system, the Concorde, and a submarine, therefore the main three technology would had help Christopher Columbus with his journey to Asia are global positioning system, the Concorde, and a submarine.

The late 15th century marked the beginnings of a period of discovery and expansion for Europeans. During these years of discovery, great forces behind drive for expansion existed. The Spanish and Portuguese's main forces included: the lust for the wealth of gold and silver, the acquisition of new lands which brought nobility, and the spread of their Christian based religion. The Spanish and Portuguese conquest of Latin America provides us with insight of these drives in the ultimate search for power. Unfortunately, these motives caused a European-Indigenous syncretism that virtually changed the native peoples way of life. Ultimately, syncretism meant survival for Native Americans in a world where their way of life did not suit the life