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Explain What Was The Reason For Early American Explorations

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Though we know that During the 1500s, early European explorers set out to discover new land, in order to find gold, spices, and other valuables worth trading, Columbus’ journal, Cortes’ letter to King Charles V, and the other discovery documents reveal that expanding Spain’s empire was perhaps the main objective behind exploring new land. Additionally, these discovery and conquest documents also show us that religion played a big role in the Europeans’ reasons for traveling to the New World, as converting the natives to Christianity was always a top priority. Though they initially set out to explore India, the Spanish explorers ended up sailing to the Americas, specifically South America. While it was not their intended destination, the Spanish still would claim this land as their own, and ultimately conquer the natives. These discovery letters and documents serve as a window into the events that took place at the time, but really only show Europeans side of the story. …show more content…

Expansion was important to Europeans because they believed that the more land they controlled meant the more power they had. One of the most successful Spanish conquests to take place in the New World was the Conquest of Mexico, in which the Aztec empire fell to Hernan Cortes. In his second letter to King Charles V, Cortes mentions that the Aztecs believed that he and his men were the descendants of an ancient prince who had come back to conquer them, as had been prophesized long ago. Because they believed this, the Aztecs told Cortes that they would obey him, and acknowledge him for their

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338 Words | 2 Pages

In the 1500’s and 1600’s, Europe dived into an era of exploration of new trade routes. Exploration carried out by explorers like Cortes, Diaz and Da Gama led Europe into new lands. The main motivations of these explorers were to gather spices and gold. Their countries were infatuated with the spices of Asia and with precious metals. Religion was not the main motivation for European exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries; however, the search for wealth was.

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They saw Catholic Spain as their enemy and decided to move forward in settling the New World in hopes of spreading Protestantism. Bartolome de Las Casas’ writing was seen as justification to “rescue” the inhabitants of the New World (Foner 126). While Spain’s main focus was to expand its empire, the English came to America on the premise of religious freedom and economic independence. Unfortunately, after working well with the Native Americans for a period of time in “Anglo-Indian harmony”, the English settlers eventually began to overpower them. The English way of living disrupted that of the Native people which resulted in conflict, prompting the Uprising of 1622.

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427 Words | 2 Pages

America’s colonization by the Europeans happened in the Age of Exploration, where Europe travelled the world in search of raw materials, land, and trade parties. North America was first discovered by Spain. The Spanish monarchs gave approval to Christopher Columbus to find new and faster route for the Asian Indies. Columbus ran into North American and was convinced he had bumped into the Indies and so he names the natives Indians, he soon learned otherwise. Spain realized the riches of the new world such as gold, silver, and the natives who could be used for slaves.

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313 Words | 2 Pages

Both France and Spain explored and colonized North America in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to increase their wealth and convert native Indians to Catholicism, but comparing the reasons for expanding into certain areas, the relationships with native Indians, and the methods to increase population will highlight the similarities and differences of the methods used by each to achieve colonization in North America. To begin with, Spain gains a new level of wealth and power through the acquisition of large amounts of silver in Zacatecas and Potosi, but this new wealth creates the desire for more and the need to protect the silver. The Spanish expand northward into North America in search of more gold and silver, and follow

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440 Words | 2 Pages

The Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English all wanted to explore and settle the New World for a variety of reasons. The European nations were searching for political dominance, and they would do whatever needed to be done to get it. An example would be the power hungry Spaniards who took control over the Aztec empire. Spain was much more advanced than the Aztecs and used their advantage of guns, horses, disease, and exploitation to swiftly conquer the empire. Another major reason for the Europeans expansion was their desire for wealth and gold.

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1231 Words | 5 Pages

The end of the fifteenth century is attributed as the time period in which Christopher Colombus “discovered” the Americas. Although he was allegedly the first European to have reached these unknown lands at the time, many sought to reach the new world, for a variety of reasons. Most of those people could be divided in two: the settlers and the conquerors. In North America, there were more of the former, people looking for a new home where they could rebuild their families and lives. In Meso-America, however, the goal was to exploit the lands in order to produce and extract new goods which they could trade.

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144 Words | 1 Pages

The motivation of Europeans who participated in early imperialism in the New World encompassed their desire for gold, thirst for glory, and aspiration of expanding their religion. Their desire for gold was one of the main causes of early European Imperialists. This was the case for the Portuguese and the Spanish for exploration in the New World. Also, the European’s thirst for glory contributed to the participation of early imperialism. The Portuguese and the Spanish competition with each other motivated both nations to colonize quickly and aggressively.

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When and why the country began exploring Factors that led to the exploration of North America Protestant reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation Church’s power declined Renaissance ideas encouraged change and control joining of small states to make larger centralized governments government centralization led to ambitious monarchs who could fund oversea exploration new navigation and shipbuilding technology longer trips made possible with new technology trade with the East needed another way to east because of unstable relationships with the Middle East French searched for river routes through North America increase fur trade gain more land convert Native Americans to Christianity French were interested in a passage to Asia, but they were

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1296 Words | 6 Pages

Their reason for settlement in the Americas had largely to do with the hopes of finding goods, wealth, and land. As a matter of fact, during Christopher Columbus’s first voyage he not only discovered the New World, but as well as conquered territories such as San Salvador, Cuba and Hispaniola as Spanish possessions (America, Spanish Conquest). At the time on his first trip he left behind a group of Spaniards in Hispaniola in order to colonize it and find gold. However, to his surprise they were all gone when he came back. Current historians do not have a specific answer to their disappearance but some say they were killed by the inhabitants of Hispaniola because of mistreatment.

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892 Words | 4 Pages

When Columbus came to the Americas in search of land for his king, he also came to claim land for God” (Spreading Religion in the Age of Exploration). The Europeans spread Christianity, and it became very popular among the colonies of the New World. “Roman Catholicism was the official religion of Spain, so the Spanish conquistadors sought to spread Catholicism throughout their colonies, in addition to accumulating wealth and power” (Spreading Religion in the Age of Exploration). The Spanish missionaries worked very hard throughout the Americas and attempted to evangelize Native American groups.

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329 Words | 2 Pages

After Spain laid claim to the New World in 1492, all subsequent Spanish social and economic relations with indigenous people were constrained by Royal Decree. Spain’s agenda for settlement and exploitation was undertaken primarily by priests, military men, and officials – not private individuals acting on their own. Their goals were to reap maximum economic, military, and spiritual benefit from a minimal investment of personnel and resources. Spain wished to establish an idealistic, pluralistic empire that reaped glory for the nobles who received commissions as field commanders and governors, jobs and opportunities for the Spanish middle class, riches for the Crown, and souls for the church.

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429 Words | 2 Pages

Although early exploration in the Americas caused deaths of the natives, centuries later viceroyalties and classes were adapted from the european influence. Europeans explored the Americas and Africa in the 15th century. In document one a map shows the Inca Empire, Aztec Empire, the Aravak and Carib as Columbus and Pizarro traveled through the civilizations. Document 2 explains the cultural and physical attributes of Tenochitlan in the Americas. It is a letter from Hernan Cortes, a Spanish conquistador, to King Charles in Europe.

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982 Words | 4 Pages

They resorted to violent methods and tried to make the Natives take them to the real gold thinking that they were just hiding it from them. One reason as to why the Europeans began their exploration of the Americas was that they wanted to find a new trade route to Asia. Columbus believed that if he sailed west, he could reach Asia faster than traveling on land or going around Africa. Asia had the spices

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1251 Words | 6 Pages

The Spanish empire wanted to come and expand their religion and get money as well of their purpose towards the reason why they migrated to the New World. Bernal Diaz del Castillo, who was one of the Spanish conquistadors, on the reason of Spanish motivations towards the New World stated that, “We came to serve God and to get rich, as all men wish to

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1514 Words | 7 Pages

Spanish claims to Latin America were based on the Christianizing mission.  When Christopher Columbus arrived at the ‘New World’ in 1492 he quickly and forcibly took advantage of the wealth of the Indian tribes; those who refused to hand over their gold and jewels faced brutal punishment of all sorts. In return, Columbus and other Spaniards bestowed the Indians with Catholicism by baptizing them and teaching them the rituals of the religion. Hence, the colonization of Latin America was justified under the guise of spreading Christianity.

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