The Impact of Expectations Upon Marco Polo and Hernan Cortes

The Spanish conquest was closer to a civil war than an actual conquest. Until reading detailed personal accounts of the fighting it is difficult to judge the deadly effectiveness of the Spaniards technological superiority. Without it is difficult to imagine 500 conquistadors holding thousands of native warriors at bay. Once the greed of Cortez and greed in general of the Europeans one understands that if it wasn’t Cortez if would have just been a different man at a different time. Unfortunately fame and prosperity seem to always win over cares about fellow human beings

There will be mention on some of the alleged negative, yet also positive aspects of his life. Despite all the accusations or assumptions of Marco Polo, history was affected as a result of his existence. He still remains an important figure in history. Marco’s early writings in his book, The Travels of Marco Polo, served as an influence to many later explorers. Though one could argue the content of his writings, and why he wrote about the things he did, the answer is simple: He was a merchant and he wrote about things that were appealing to a merchant.

However, it was this influence that made him want to demonstrate his power and wealth to the surrounding nations, therefore both building up ... ... middle of paper ... ...was a successful king: he brought military strength, strong alliances and trading routes, great wealth and efficient central administration. All of these are imperative to a stable and successful kingdom. However Anderson argues that all of this glory and security was achieved through 'harsh measures of exploitation', which is evident through the evidence of taxation and forced labour Solomon inflicted on the country. Drane and Bright both agree that 'He had become like the kings of other nations in every bad sense', and he was 'the embodiment of all a king ought not to be'. Solomon's reign is a controversial one, and although he was successful in many ways, his greed and desire for absolute luxury brought out qualities that led to the disintegration of himself and Israel, particularly as a nation that followed Yahweh.

The differences between the Spaniards and the Indian accounts were vast and varied from writer to writer, for a man's deeds could be bad and good. The two conquistadors, Diaz and Tapia, agreed that the Spaniards were doing the natives a favor by wanting to become their friends. On the other hand, the Indians view of events was divided depending on whether they supported the Spaniards or not. The Indians who did, like Lienzo, looked at the conquest through the eyes of the Spaniards, while the Indians who did not, prayed their Gods to stop the Spaniards. The conquest of Mexico brought a lot of confusion and caused people to see the conquest itself from different account and caused people to see the conquest itself from different accounts.

(1) Define Sir Walter Raleigh and the Lost Colony of Roanoke and the purpose of English colonization. During the Age of Exploration, countries of Spain and England were rivalries. Spain, after Columbus made his discoveries, went on to explore and colonize lands in Mexico and Peru. With the riches that it obtained, Spain overwhelmed England with its powerful navy, but failed to do so because of the strong will and nationalism of the English explorers. Sir Walter Raleigh was among these brave men and soon became a distinguished member of the English society.

Looking deeper into Pedro Alvares Cabral’s life I determine him as the best explorer ever due to multiple reasons: Cabral was a man who had the right attitude on his exploration of the world, added onto the accomplishments of past successful voyages to improve results, and also made his own findings with success of his mission. All of these are signs of how Cabral tops even more well-known explorers of time. In long and dangerous voyages across the world the emotions that you portray have major effects on the results of events. Pedro Alvares Cabral was one man who had control over his attitude and in return it factored into his journey becoming a success. An example that proves this argument is it is said that Cabral was an explorer who “made a special effort to treat inhabitants kindly, receiving them on board his caravel” (Britannica.com, n.d.) That quote was pulled out in context referring to Cabral turning people to his side in Brazil and having them accompany him on his voyage as help.

Throughout mankind’s history there have been many famous people: innovators such as Thomas Edison, great war generals and leaders such as George Washington, and explorers who dare to see the ends of the world and conquer what they pass. Sir Francis Drake is one of these men who dared to conquer, not another nation or man, but Earth. He is recognized on the same status as Magellan and Columbus. Although he is haled for just one accomplishment; he is praised for his countless expeditions in the name of research and his country, his sea battles against the Spanish Armada, and many more feats he has grasped. He is not only all of these but also a main contributor to England’s early wealth and the reason she became one of the world’s largest super powers.

These people took a course of action that shook them to the core facing many challenges that would be deemed undoable, but they overcame those odds. They went against the grain by themselves, gaining so much and truly fulfilling their prophecy to aid the civilization. Exile is a beautiful thing even though the average man may view it in a negative light. It proves the one who truly deserve the title of great, and provides the fundamentals for successful civilizations. Works Cited Rosenberg, Donna.

After having read this book, I now have more insight into Thomas Jefferson and the American history. Thomas Jefferson made many mistakes during his lifetime and could have quit at any moment, but he never gave up. I admire most the fact that Jefferson stood fast and true to his beliefs even when it would have been more favorable for him to agree with the masses. Thomas Jefferson was a genius and a hero to the country.

Odysseus' wit, wisdom and courage make him a true hero, yet Homer’s novel indicates that wit overrules all. Throughout his journey home, his wit contributed the greatest to his survival and escape. Whether it be from the Cyclops or killing the Suitors when he came back to Ithica, Orysseus used his wits and cunning to his greatest advantage. Through all the obstacles Odysseus faced on his journey, he used his wits to prove himself by coming up with solutions to reach his goal and reuniting himself with his family and kingdom. The Odyssey is wonderful story as it shows that a true hero isn’t just costumes, good looks and galore, but much more on the inside.