Analysis: Beginning in 1942 with Christopher Columbus, the New World was conquered by Spain’s Empire which established much of South America, the United States and the Caribbean. When the Spanish first arrived, their mission was to see what the land had to offer as well as convert the indigenous people. What was not expected for the Spaniards to bring was disease and hardship of the land’s people. Spain began to abuse the land, turn its people into hard labor workers and to gain wealth from all the many riches the New World had to offer. Once the Spanish empire gained control of the New World it became the most powerful and biggest European empire since ancient times. Spain took from the land and used its wealth for their own personal gain. But it was only a matter of time before problems began to take place within the New World. Introduction: American civilization was unlike any other that existed during the previous years. While Americans are descendants of people from all the continents of the world, American culture promotes European culture more than any other culture. This culture was not brought by the Europeans, but through the Spanish instead. During the course of a hundred years, the Spanish succeeded in conquering the indigenous societies of Latin America and present a strong presence in what is now the United States. Christopher Columbus is a disputed issue today, honored by some as one of the great, while others see it as a historical scoundrel responsible for the conquest of the Americas with the Spaniards that thanks were given by the discovery of the New World. Whether imagining Colon in the role of hero or villain, you cannot deny its importance in the discovery of the new continent. Columbus opened the Atlantic t... ... middle of paper ... ...d States. Conclusion: In conclusion, knowing that the Spaniards but those of the New World and those of Africa in hardship and torment the end result was not in their favor. As the Empire finally collapsed a new form of government and conduct took over the place in which was scarred by the Spanish’s nuisance. But, the Spanish empire did leave the New World with some good. The empire resulted in mixing cultures, religions, and even beliefs among all of the different groups of people that were together during this time and if you look at today’s society many of the people in the Americas would not be here without the Spanish empire. Many are said to be mixed the indigenous people as well as the Africans. But not only did the Spanish Empire bring different cultures together but it set the bases of international trade by providing new trade routes throughout the ocean.
Cultures had been flourishing thousands of years before the Europeans arrived to the New World. Great empires such as the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas inhabited the vast lands of Central and South America. These three major powers controlled the land before Columbus or Cortez were even born. Although the Pre-Columbian civilizations and the Europeans shared some similar ideas, life was very different in the New World compared with that of Middle Age Europe.
Thru history studies in grade school and secondary school students are taught of the great explorer who discovered America, Christopher Columbus. Tales of his many voyages and the names of his ships the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria are engrained into the minds of children through rhyme and song. For many years the history written in text books have been regard as fact however information provided by Howard Zinn excerpt has shed new light on the shadowy past of Christopher Columbus.
Christopher Columbus is a name known to nearly every American that has ever had an elementary education. He is imagined as the brave explorer that against all odds prevailed in his belief of a round earth. Credited with the discovery of America, Columbus has a holiday and even the Nation’s capitol and a powerful Catholic service organization are named after him. What isn’t as well known is the dark side of his arrival to the New World. Though he did make the first steps in founding modern America, these steps came at the cost of thousands of lives. Columbus enslaved the natives he came across and ruled the Caribbean with an iron fist. He killed thousands in a relentless pursuit to find gold and used Christianity to justify the destruction of entire cultures. Yet the true much less favoring story is pushed aside by the romanticized tale of the great Christopher Columbus. The graphic and sad nature of the truth make the myth a much better story; a story that eclipsed reality. Vestiges of the belief in White superiority perpetuated the belief that Columbus was more of a hero th...
...he Portuguese Americas. They both chose to relocate the indigenous people. The Spanish Americas were more successful than the Portuguese because of the diseases inflicted upon the Native Americans by the Portuguese. Each power (Spanish and Portuguese) wanted to regulate the Native Americans. Again, the Spanish were more successful. Even with the Spanish being greedy and wanting to take advantage of the land and the fruits it had to offer, they first instilled structure by forming a type of government. The Portuguese allowed the power to lie in the hand of the group of people who had wealth and could buy their way into powerful positions.
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. However, even after centuries later, little is truly known of the mysterious voyage and findings of the new world.1 By examining “Letter from Columbus to Luis Santangel”, one can further contextualize the events of Columbus' exploration of the New World. The letter uncovers Columbus' subtle hints of his true intentions and exposes his exaggerated tone that catered to his lavish demands with Spain. Likewise, The Columbian Voyage Map read in accordance with the letter helps the reader track Columbus' first, second, third, and fourth voyage to the New World carefully and conveniently. Thus, the letter and map's rarity and description render invaluable insight into Columbus' intentionality of the New World and its indigenous inhabitants.
In the early 17th century, British colonizers began arriving in the New World in hopes of expanding their territorial domain. By the 18th century, Spanish colonizers had established trading posts and missions in the New World, covering a vast expanse of land that extended beyond even England’s colonial holdings. When the British arrived, they spurred on Indian depopulation and African and European immigration. The arrival of the Spanish resulted in near Indian extinction and a burgeoning international trade. Though Spain had an advantage of a century over Britain, both nations used the New World’s resources to further their mercantile goals, in the process, ravaging the native populations; however, Spain’s missionary efforts were more successful and the location of their respective colonies resulted in a monopoly of different economic commodities.
No one could have imagined the effects that would happen when the Europeans came to America. When ever there are large groups of people meeting each other for the first time theirs bound to be wars, new diseases and religious conflicts between them. Because of the influences of Europeans and Native Americans America is what it is today.
Growing up, most children are taught how Christopher Columbus was the discoverer of the New World and how without him we wouldn’t have the world we are in today. We have a national holiday in honor of him. We celebrate his life through most of our juvenile years. Over the last century, questions have been popping up regarding this man known to be one of the most popular men to have walked the earth. People of all ages have discussed for ages as to whether Christopher Columbus is a great explorer or a mass murderer.
Christopher Columbus is credited as the audacious voyager who challenged modern thinking and found the land now known as the Americas. Columbus not only discovered new lands, but also opened trade with natives and brought substantial wealth and glory to the major European powers. In addition, his ventures not only enabled the spread of the gospel to pagan peoples, but also set the stage for the emergence of the United States of America. Without Christopher Columbus the United States would not have been a separate state for over 500 years or more or not at all. However, despite all that Columbus did, people still fail to recognize the tribulations he undertook before he set off in his first ship. The public is unable to comprehend, despite years of education, the internal struggles and the ridicule Columbus was forced to endure for just believing in what he thought was correct (Philips 13). His courage in the face of this ridicule is what makes Columbus a national hero in that age as well as now. Christopher Columbus’ acts of perseverance, his moral courage, and his adventurous spirit continue to inspire the people of today. Through this intercourse, Christopher Columbus’ work has not ended, for it is everlasting as it persists to imbue the people of today with the ability to succeed in the face of an unknown future.
Were there any other explorers who may have come across the Americas before Columbus? What caused Columbus to have such a vast impact on the society? This investigation will go further into the aspects of why Columbus’ name is widely recognized and how he had a tremendous impact, when there is evidence that suggests there may have been other explorers who had previously stumbled upon what Columbus is claimed to discover.
In the 1400’s European countries had been thrusted into overseas expansion in the fever for land and gold. All throughout Europe, monarchies had sent explorers all over the world to conquer land for their country. Each country had conquered and colonized in various styles, but each had a specific goal that they wanted to achieve. During the European colonization of the Americas or the New World, both the Spanish and the French spread the idea of Catholicism throughout the Americas, however the Spanish believed in treating the Native Americans in a harsher way by enslaving them for labor whereas the French established trade relationships.
The discovery of the new world brought the Europeans resources, money, and people. Discovery of the new was such an impact on the European exploration because of land. Countries would now have more land in their name with lots of resources. Discovery the new world made the European come up with the ideal of slavery. This was a negative for the people who lived on the land because they were either killed, brought into slavery, or kicked off the island (3). Crops and resources was another reason why the discovery of the new world was important. Exploring the world gave the Europeans resources that were very convenience. Gold was the greatest convenience resources found during the European exploration (3). When the Europeans were traveling across they weren’t just looking for land and money. They also learned from the Indians and others about their culture (3). Learning about another culture made the explorers bring back some of their culture and share it with the old world. The explorers found lots of resources and crops that they didn’t have, they also found out that the Indians didn’t have things they had, and this is what lead to the Columbian
In 1492, Christopher Columbus was a self-made man who worked his way up to being the Captain of a merchant vessel. He gained the support of the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, for an expedition to the Indies. With the support of the Spanish monarchy, he set off to find a new and faster trade route to the Indies. Upon the arrival of his first voyage, Columbus wrote a letter to Luis de Santangel, a “royal official and an early supporter of his venture,” in February 1493 (35). The epistle, letter, entitled “Letter to Luis de Santangel Regarding the First Voyage” was copied and then distributed in Spain before being translated and spread throughout Europe. The Letter is held in such regard with the people as it is considered the first printed description of the new world. Through his description of the nature of the islands, Columbus decided the future fate of the islands. His description of the vast beauty of the nature around him, declares both the economic and nationalistic motivations for colonizing the new world.
Spain was a global superpower in matters of wealth and their successes stemming from the arts and academia to travel and territorial conquests. Of these accomplishments, their most prized achievement was acquiring a heavy portion of Latin America where their influence originated from the northern borders of Mexico deep into South America. They abused the resources they found, cheated the natives all the while demolishing their culture and population. In turn this gave birth the rise of a number of rebellions by the oppressed against the conquistadors to take back the land and implement laws and social standards that benefited the people and return to them the rights that they had been stripped of.
Yes, the European expansion brought many good things to this world, but this was at the cost of Native American lives and culture. Without it, we would not be here today, but maybe, another great culture may have been. It would have been nice to see three major cultures emerge- the Eastern, "Western", and New World- and how they would of turned out differently of the Europeans didn't "take-over" as they did. But every event in History has it's causes and effects, and even though it wasn't ideal and necessarily the greatest move in history, it was necessary to further progression towards present