The Pros And Cons Of European Expansion

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European expansion into the Western Hemisphere in the 15th and 16th century was overall a positive advancement for human civilization, despite many negative drawbacks. When discussing European expansion it is easy to forget some of the horrific things that happened, and merely focus on the creation of a new empire. However it is important to delve into the positive and negative attributes of European expansion into the west for a clearer picture of whether or not it helped to advance human civilization. When the Europeans first came to the Americas they were intrigued by the new culture they found, they saw the natives as barbaric and even savage. With this view of the natives the explorers were able to dehumanize them and find it acceptable …show more content…

In the areas where the Europeans lived with the natives and not separated, they were able to learn from one another and integrate these new discoveries into their own culture. The Europeans brought livestock to the natives that they had never seen, such as horses, pigs, cattle and sheep. With these horses the natives were then able to move from gathering to hunting, by being able to hunt the buffalo. The natives in turn taught the Europeans different agricultural advancements that they were able to bring back to Europe and integrate into their own lives. The Europeans originally came in search for mainly silver and gold, however they instead gained the biggest wealth through agriculture. The Europeans brought squash, pumpkins, and even corn back to Europe. Through living near and with one another cultures began to collide and sometimes mix. Some of the natives learned the language of the Europeans or a mixture of the two languages. Others began to blend religions, sometimes worshiping multiple gods, others becoming Catholic. During this time with a ten to one man to woman ratio in some areas interracial families became common. European expansion also helped to add diversity to the new land. All these things helped to make European expansion a positive

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