Spanish Exploration And European Exploration

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After news and information of Columbus’s expedition spread across Europe faster than ever with Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, colonists saw several benefits of settling in the newly-discovered land and European exploration began to skyrocket. In 1493, European colonization of the New World quickly became the single goal of several countries, including Spain, France, and England. European Colonists finally acquired the necessary resources to explore the New World and decided to take action around 1497. According to Eric Foner’s Give Me Liberty, Countries in Europe competed with each other in order to be regarded as the most superior and wealthiest nation along with having a high amount of national glory. (Eric Foner, ed., Give Me Liberty, 51). Although it seems that the inspirations for colonization were similar if not the same among European countries, large nations like Spain, France, and England in particular, had distinct differences that set them apart from other countries.
Spain was one of the first countries to act quickly in beginning its expansion to the New World. The Spanish exploration was clearly identified as being mostly “inspired by a search for wealth, national glory, and the desire to spread Catholicism.” (Eric Foner, 20). King Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain were firm believers that this conquest would be a good investment with worthy benefits like commercial trade and religious conversions in the long run, so they provided