12th Century American Exploration

In late 12th century, Europeans were not satisfied the territory and treasury from their homeland, so they were looking for “the New World” which can set more colonies around world. Desiring the goodness of sailing, more and more voyagers explore the ocean. European colonies have four main motivations for “the New Word”, which are gaining treasury or slaves, expanding the territory, developing the trade, and missionizing the religion. To achieve their goal, some countries like Spain, French, Dutch, and English send voyages to “ the New World”.

Spain was the first country landed in “the New Word”. As the competitions between European countries are more and more fiercely, every nation wanted to be the first country which can sail to india because

So does Spain. At that time, some people reached the theory of spherical earth, Spanish want to prove that theory in order to find the way to Asia and India. Also, after discovering Marco Polo’s traveling book, the emperor of Spain desired the treasury and send people to explore the ocean. Christopher Columbus, born in Genoa at 1451, is the first European who reached “the New Word” (Goldfield, page 15). In 1492, to explore a new seaway to Asia and India, Columbus and his sailors started their travel from Palos (Goldfield, page 15). After three month’s journey on the sea, on october 12th, they accidentally arrived at America, but he still believed he arrived India (Goldfield, page 15). Spain would become richer by having trade with Asian and spreading Christian if Columbus found Asian (Goldfield, page 16-17). The ruler of Spain found new ways to control the land that had just been conquered (Goldfield, page 18). The aim of conquistadors were acquire treasury and slaves, so they assaulted some villages and killed the citizens (Goldfield, page 18). The Spain had more advanced technology and weapons at 1521, and Spanish

In 1520s, King Francis I was thinking about enhance the new Empire and stop the extension of Spain (Goldfield, page 24). French fishermen want to trade European goods like furs with Indians, which made furs as the major source of income (Goldfield, page 31). This is also the motivation that the French seek and set their colony of New France (Goldfield, page 31). Many Indian people would like to trade and ally with France, two of whom are Montagnais and Hurons (Goldfield, page 32). After 1663, numerous indentured servants went to France to work, which increased the labor force of France (Goldfield, page 33). In some aspect, the expansion of France alarmed the English due to the development of France (Goldfield, page