Chapter 14 Long Essay Questions

Matthew Gurovich
9/21/15
Period 7 Chapter 14 Long Essay Question

Prompt #3

Throughout the era of exploration, several countries in Europe such as Portugal and Spain led multiple expeditions to western continents, now known as the Americas. Within the journey, generals such as Francisco Pizarro and Hernan Cortes stumbled upon several native civilizations, amongst them being the Aztecs in Mexico, and the Incas in South America. The fact that technology, agriculture, and ideas could spread much easier from west to east, rather than from north to south, was largely thanks to geographical and climatic factors. Subsequently to the encounters with these civilizations, European generals were able to dominate the people of both Central and South

An example of the different understandings of war can be seen during the battle of Caxamalca, in which the Inca leader Atahualpa, suggested the battle between him and the Spanish was a celebratory event of Atahualpa due to the intimidation brought upon the Spanish without the use of weapons. Contrary to the Incas fantasy, the Spanish were extremely prepared with armor, horses, swords, and guns. In the end, the Spanish prevailed in the destruction of all enemies without one injury during the process. This example demonstrates the fact that the interpretation of the significance of battle along with the preparation of battle is evidently important to the success of war and played in the Spaniards favor yet again

Similarly to the isolation from diseases that were spread by europeans, the geography of the western continent averted the Incas and Aztecs from exchanging ideas and technology with others, which left both civilizations with roadblocks in their journey to advancements within society. Simultaneously in Eurasia, unlike both Incas and Aztecs, the Spanish easily exchanged ideas and technology with others in the continent. An example of the allocation between the Spanish and neighboring civilizations, is the acquisition of the musket, cannon, and gunpowder technology from the east, to be exact, China. In addition, the use of steel along with other metals for weapons stemmed from the Fertile Crescent, in the Middle East. Subsequently to the Little Ice Age, the Spanish acquired cattle and domestic animals for agricultural purposes and in result, required less people to work in the farming industry. The results of this acquisition,was a larger population, and people were enabled to shift focuses to scientific and technological advancements. In essence, the fact that the Spaniards were enabled to collaborate technological ideas with neighboring civilizations, played a very big factor into their dominance over the inhabitants of