Columbus

The world has always been connected. Through trade routes, the world was accessible to anyone who had goods and resources to offer and sell. However, not all countries and territories were part of this connection. Such as Europe, who lay withering away in their dark ages without connections to trade routes, as the rest of the developed world flourished. However, a change in the 1500 century led to the demise of the established wealth and to the rise to colonizing powers. These colonizing powers were dependent on the exploitation of another country’s resources and population. What led to this shift in power and the belief of colonialism? The search for wealth. Many primary sources describe this shift in power and belief; however, Christopher’s Columbus’ letter to the Luis de Santangel outlines this phenomena with such clarity that it sets and foreshadows the economic and religious foundation for the emerging belief of colonialism; and in turn resulting in some of the first colonization of the Americas.

This letter between Christopher Columbus and Luis de Santangel, the financial advisor of the spanish crown, establishes that Columbus found “many islands” and took “possession for their Highnesses” (p. 263). He confirms that there are inhabitants “beyond number” in this territory; however, he quickly glosses over the natives to describe the abounding fertility of the islands (p. 263). Columbus is care in highlighting the natural resources, species, and the ability the islands have for agriculture. Once his initial description of the land is completed Columbus begins to describe the simple lifestyle of the natives. He places special emphasis on the natives’ docile and generous nature, and writes in detail about trading with the nativ...

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...ristopher Columbus’ letter opened the door of colonization of the Americas to the Spanish. The Spaniards wasted no time in colonizing a large majority of the South American continent, Central America, Western North America, and the islands Columbus so famously ‘discovered’. Theses colonizers exploited the resources and the people of this colonies, believing that this process would benefit their country. The byproduct of their colonization, along with many European countries, led to many of the issues of the economy, societal strife, and conflict the people of the present encounter. Colonization led to one of the biggest issues of today, shift from interconnection to interdependence. Columbus’ letter starts at the beginning of the process and belief of colonialism; providing the economic and religious foundation for this idea that shaped the world so drastically.