Why Did Vespucci's Observations Foster A Scientific Attitude?

One of the main reasons Europeans sought to explore the world was to spread Christianity. As far as they knew, the New World had never heard of Christianity, and the Spanish Cardinal Trinlini said that this made them “heathens [who] live a barbarous life”. His motivation for exploring these new lands was to save the natives from their ignorance

In 1493, Columbus wrote a letter on his voyage back to Europe, describing the newfound continent as “many islands inhabited by men without number”. The letter was published throughout Europe, thus spreading the discovery of America quickly. According to the map in document D, the letter originated in Lisbon on March 14, 1493. Within the year, it traveled to eight major cities across Western Europe, published in over five different languages. Without the printing press, the news would have taken years to circulate Europe, as information often did before the invention. Due to the rapid communication of the news, the Waldseemuller’s world map from 1507 included America and other major geographical discoveries. It was “the first known map to record the existence of the American continent”. The Waldseemuller illustrates a diffusion of information because the publication of Columbus’s letter allowed the cartographers to incorporate America on their maps. Thus, the printing press had a major effect on discoveries in the 15th century. The discovery’s publication on the map inspired other aspiring explorers. Ultimately, exploration clearly represents Renaissance worldviews, as Columbus’s discovery is a prime example of its relevance during the era. These major discoveries symbolize the passion for exploration and curiosity many Europeans

The fundamental factors that drew Europeans to the exploration, conquest, and colonization of the New World are: the desire to spread Christianity, the search for new lands and new resources, the ambition to be known around the world and to address overpopulation in their homeland. The first three fundamental factors, called “God, Gold and Glory”, are generally known to be the main factors that motivated Europeans to the exploration, conquest and colonization of the New World. With the 3G’s present and were able to achieve by

When word of the economic potential of the New World traveled back to Europe, various companies quickly maneuvered to exploit it for their own gain (Graff 55). Ostensibly, Europeans held three reasons for colonizing the New World: "glory, God, and gold" (Graff 41) While there was some evidence of sincere religious fervor (Graff 27), more often than not, religious ideology gave way to glory and economic gain (Keen 55-56). Worse yet, religion became a thin facade for covering up the greed for economic gain (Keen 106-08). Ironically, the King James Bible of 1611, the very Bible that many Europeans held dear to their hearts, warns of the atrocities of greed in a most prophetic way. "For the Love of money is the root of all evil. . . ." (I Timothy 6:11). Nevertheless, to many Europeans, the New World represented an opportunity to make a fortune (Garraty 2). It was

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.

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who received credit for the discovery of the Americas in 1492. His goal was to discover another route to India instead, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and arrived in Hispaniola which is present day Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Although, historians argue he did not technically discover the Americas, he opened trade routes between the Old World and the New World. He influenced later explorers and impacted the development of the Columbian Exchange. The historians present their attitudes towards the consequences and outcomes of Christopher Columbus and his discovery. They also state their argument on his controversial legacy about whether Christopher Columbus should be perceived as a hero or a villain.

In the book The Conquest of America by Tzvetan Todorov, Todorov brings about an interesting look into the expeditions of Columbus, based on Columbus’ own writings. Initially, one can see Columbus nearly overwhelmed by the beauty of these lands that he has encountered. He creates vivid pictures that stand out in the imagination, colored by a "marvelous" descriptive style. Todorov gives us an interpretation of Columbus’ discovery of America, and the Spaniards’ subsequent conquest, colonization, and destruction of pre-Columbian cultures in Mexico and the Caribbean. Tzvetan Todorov examines the beliefs and behavior of the Spanish conquistadors and of the Aztecs.

Religious motives of the ‘Old Land’ of Europe’s exploration can be traced back to the days of the Crusades down to the 11th and 15th century, where the European Christians tried to invade and claim the city of Jerusalem from its Muslim control. The struggle between the Islamic rule and the European Christians planted the ideology of ‘Reconquista’ in the latter’s religion. It influenced the Christian religion with an air of religious intolerance. With the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, European Catholic’s interests in colonizing newer lands and declare global dominance earned a new momentum. And strong Catholic nations of Spain and Portugal were the

Those who moved to the new world had one of two motivations: the hope of free worship or to gain profit through the New World’s untapped resources. With the religious persecution of

As early as the fifteenth century, Europeans began to become eager to discover the New World that was unknown to them. With the concerns of rapid population growth, commerce, new learning, and the rise of competing for nation states, they set out for new adventures and discovery. For a long time, Spain and Portugal were the only European powers with New World colonies.

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

the New World was to convert the locals to Christianity. For example, some important religious figures were Friar Bernardino de

It is 1492, and many Europeans are hungry for exploration. The “New World” was seen as the future of trade. But there was one problem; the current way of shipping from Asia was by slow land travel, touching many hands before they reached the European market. With a market that was hungry and the means to travel by sea, Christopher Columbus set sail under the endorsement of queen Isabella of Spain, searching for passage to Asia. What Columbus would find was not Asia, but America. This discovery as time would tell, would not come without consequence. In the age of the new world, exploration, conquest and settlement would have consequences for both the people who were adventuring to these new lands as well

“It is lawful to call it a new world, because none of these countries were known to our ancestors, and to all who hear about them they will be entirely new.” Amerigo Vespucci was a Florentine navigator and explorer who played a prominent role in exploring the new world.

The “new world” that Columbus boasted of to the Spanish monarchs in 1500 was neither an expanse of empty space nor a replica of European culture, tools, textiles, and religion, but a combination of Native, European, and African people living in complex relation to one another. »full text