15th Century European Exploration

In the 15th century, The Age of Exploration became popular with indigenous peoples of Europe to explore the Americas. During this era, Europeans became interested in expansion and wealth of the New World. European rulers started looking for cheapest and fastest ways to get imported goods from countries such as Asia and Africa. These rulers began by sending explorers on explorations to find sea routes to other countries. The explorations helped these countries find the most efficient ways to get goods such as spices, silk, and gold. During this age of exploration, Europe had many motives for exploring. Europe was seeking new technologies, navigational items, and resources from the New World. Throughout this essay, I will discuss the factors

During the era of exploration, each country used different techniques and strategies to be successful. Portugal, motivated by Prince Henry the Navigator and successfully took the lead. Portugal was the first to have explored Africa and the Atlantic in the 1400s. Portugal developed new success sailing techniques. Due to Portugal’s successful colonization, the Spanish began to plan their own colonization. In 1492, Christopher Columbus and the Spanish discovered the New World. Columbus was trying to find a more efficient and faster route to Asia. While using his knowledge of the wind and current patterns, they discovered the New World. The Spanish found different kinds of wealth within in the New World, many of Spanish wasn’t looking wealth. They came to create a fresh start by building homes and developing the land, most of the Spanish located in the warmer climate areas. “By the end of the 16th century, promoters of colonization could argue that Europeans should establish settlements in the Americas because this territory had become, to them, a grand shopping emporium where whatever Europeans wanted could be found. Reports of travelers printed across the continent made knowledge about American resources common and encouraged further colonizing

European’s encounters with different races of people had taken place since antiquity, as recorded by Herodotus (c.484-425BC), whose writings had been rediscovered and translated into Latin just a couple of decades before Columbus’s first voyage”. As the exploration continued, Europeans came across different groups and societies of people. “The Europeans categorized them as "savage societies" of hunters and fishers, or "barbarian societies" of nomadic herdsmen”. When the Europeans came to the America’s their conquest differed from North and Central America. North and Central America consist of many different climate zones and land structures. North America consists of all different climates, ranging from desert regions to freezing regions. As for Central America consist moderate climates, with land structures including prairies, plains, mountains, and lakes. The conquest differs due to the regions and the different resources shared. These conquests began to occur due to mass amounts of silver and gold. In 1504, Hernan Cortes went searching for riches in the mainland of Cuba. Cortes encountered the Aztecs and offer expensive goods and gifts. He earned their trust and placed the emperor under house arrest to overrule the Aztecs. Out of all the conflicts to take place I find this to be the best example. It shows the greediness of the Cortes and the lengths he would go to