European Exploration Pros And Cons

In 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus was determined to find a way to Asia by sailing west. Instead, during his exploration travels, Christopher Columbus stumbled upon the Americas. The Americas that were discovered on that day in 1492 were a far contrast from the Americas that we know today. Since then, interactions resulting from European exploration have affected diverse countries around the world all in the name of “God, Glory and Gold”. Undoubtedly, Exploration has lots of benefits and europeans traveled the world for material gain, to convert natives to christianity and for power. Gold is considered precious because of it’s rarity. Exploration resulted in a search for material gain. For example, the spanish killed

One of the the things Europeans did when the age of imperialism started in the Americas was to convert natives to their faith after all their religion was the best. One example of one such event is when the Europeans arrived in the Americas in the 16th century they encountered people who had different religious traditions then them or had no religion. Profit minded Spanish conquistadors and french fur traders competed for wealth. French and Spanish missionaries competed for the “saving the souls”. By the mid 16th century Spanish occupied modern day Florida and New mexico establishing missions. The French were occupying the great lakes region. These missionaries sought to bring gospel to ears that had never heard it. Missionaries established schools and treated the natives better that the conquistadors did and the native liked them more. Although most natives never accepted the Christian faith missionaries never stopped trying. Without European missionaries to convert the Natives to their faith the natives may have never accepted us. On the contrary British explorers also took a stake in this game. While the spanish and french were marching about the land trying to convert for most of the 16th century. The British were the first to establish praying settlements to isolate potential converts, Natives could go and learn the religion and the language and engage in regular church attendance. Praying villages were mostly self sufficient and did not receive much help from british colonies. Catholics relied on native to upkeep the maintenance of the village. European conversion tactics played a crucial role in make western civilization run and thrive the way that is