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Explorers And Conquistadors : The Age Of Exploration, And A Golden Age

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Before 1453, Europe was in a period of time often referred to as the Dark ages. Critics claim that they had little access to any kind of trade, wealth or ideas that traveled along the Silk Roads. Meaning that the Europeans economy was based largely off of agriculture and they lived very difficult lives in poverty. This was until daring and courageous men decided to pull Europe out of the Dark ages and into the Renaissance (A Golden Age). The many voyages of European explorers and conquistadors are what brought Europe into what would become known as The Age of Exploration. This connected Europe to trade and cultural ideas along the east. Although the Europeans and conquistadors did conquer the natives and spread the base of slavery, these men did bring new ideas, technology, science and culture that ultimately result in a huge impact on history. The spread of culture from the old world to the new world is what helped create the present world now. In Bernal Diaz’s book, “The True History of the Conquest of New Spain”, Diaz demonstrates how the Spanish brought their own culture to the Indians. In the passage, Diaz explained how the Spanish taught the Indians their way of life in the old world. The Indians learned how to read, write, and farm with plants and animals that were brought over from Spain (Doc 1). Another example of this cultural exchange would be when Hernan Cortes shared his religion, Christianity, with the Aztecs. In an excerpt of a letter addressed to the Holy
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