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European expansions
European expansion 16th century essay
European expansions
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As every King and Queen must abide by God when ruling their kingdom, every lord, lady, admiral, viceroy, governor, and peasant must also have God rule their individual lives. Not a single position in any court or church could you live outside of the Holy Father’s jurisdiction. The man who explored the Americas in the name of the monarchs of Spain surely recognized this as he read over his contract with the king and queen. In 15th century Europe, the social pyramid was being scaled like never before. Governorship, promotions, wealth, and so much more was offered to Christopher Columbus depending on what he found during his trek west. Of course Ferdinand and Isabella themselves would reap the majority of wealth from any newfound lands. Columbus however would be made to govern over these lands, and assign underlings to help rule this new land. Columbus, a man who had been born into a middle class family, was being promised positions just shy of monarchy. …show more content…
The age of exploration brought about a great change in the social and political workings of not only Spain, but the entirety of Europe. Suddenly there was a grand new opportunity on the horizon; people that would normally live stagnant lives in their respective jobs in the community could now go to a brand new world to start over. Columbus, despite ending up dying a relatively sound but by no means wealthy man, started this trend of creating a name for yourself through exploration. Though he never reached the status of governor or duke, he was presented with the opportunity to become one, and that was enough for the
One question posed by the authors is “How did Columbus’s relationship with the Spanish crown change over time, and why?” In simple terms, Columbus’s relationship with the
Toward the end of pre-colonial times in Europe, due to the fall of Constantinople, many European nations felt the need to find an alternate route to the East Indies. The trade of rare goods such as spices, rice, exotic fruits and silk fabrics were much in demand, but came at extreme prices. In the beginning of the ‘Age of Exploration’, Portugal was in the forefront with the early explorers Henry the Navigator, Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teixeira, and Diogo Silves discovering the Madeira Islands, the Azores, and the exploration of Africa respectively, but King John the II of Portugal was unconvinced by Christopher Columbus’s pleas to fund his plan to sail West to the East Indies. Columbus made many demands for self-profit, including ten percent of any riches with which he returned, and even an ‘Admiralty’. Subsequently, Columbus took his plans to Queen Isabella of Spain. Spain acquiesced, and Columbus set off on his fateful journey. The Roman Catholic Church was very interested in expanding the Christian faith during this time and applied its influence on the monarchy. Religion also played a large personal role as Columbus truly believed that God spoke to him, and guided his hand. Additionally, at this time in Europe, land and food were at a premium. The monarchs of the era were fully aware that the acquisition of more land, slave labor and possible natural resources would greatly increase their power, prestige and subsequent wealth. After learning of Columbus’ successful return and the Treaty of Tordesillas (which divided the New World between Spain and Portugal), King Henry VII of England threw his hat into the ring and sent John Cabot sailing from Bristol on an attempt to find a shorter route to the ‘Indies’. Not to be left out in ...
Many consider Columbus a Hero, others believe he was selfish and self centered. Myint author of “Christopher Columbus: Hero or Villain?” and Ransby author of “Columbus and the Making of Historical Myth.”, are faced with the same dilemma. From a young age children are taught about Columbus and his greatness, but the books fail to document the atrocities committed in the process. Most of the books use biased language; little evidence and vague language is used to hail Columbus as a great hero. Myint provides a more objective stance, while Ransby condemns Columbus entirely. However, both suggest to consider Columbus a hero is a mistake.
Who is Christopher Columbus? You may already have prior knowledge of him, but if you do not, Christopher Columbus was a Spanish explorer who made four voyages to the Americas. His voyages led to the Columbian Exchange and colonization. Many cultures, ideas, technology, and foods were spread between the Americas, the “New World,” and Europe, Africa, and Asia, the “Old World”. Even though many great things were exchanged between the Old World and the New World, many diseases from Europe were introduced to the Natives. Does this make Christopher Columbus a hero, or a villain? The answer is not that debatable. A closer look must be taken at Christopher Columbus 's life to be able to judge such things. This essay will take a look at his life,
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.
Columbus appears to be a dreamer. His goals were selfish and his true knowledge weak. He was deceitful and egotistical and knew how to manipulate others. Throughout his writings he refers to the things that ‘he’ accomplished, as if he had done them alone. He lied almost daily to the sailors according to his journal when he stated “less than the true number” (Halsall) of leagues travelled each day was reported to them. He spoke of an abundance of gold he found in the islands when he wrote “the majority [of rivers]…contain gold” (Belasco and Johnson 82). According to his journal entries, he only observes the existence of gold two times and both times it is seen hanging from a man’s nose. For example, on October 17 he encounters a man that had “hanging at his nose a piece of gold half as big as a castellailo” (Halsall), about a half pound in weight. Although he was told about gold and searched for gold, he never procured any. Additionally, he had a very high opinion of himself and was not hesitant in letting others know this. In his initial Journal writing he announces himself to be “Don” (Halsall), that’s like saying ‘I’m the head man.’ Furthermore, he let the King and Queen know that his proclaimed distinction was to be passed to his oldest son, including governorship of islands and lands he finds on his journey. He appears to think that what once belonged to native islanders, will belonged to him.
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And, when he reached his destination he killed, raped and enslaved innocent natives. Was Columbus a villain? The answer to that question, in my opinion, would be yes. Christopher Columbus was a cruel, self-centered, delusional man who does not deserve to be praised for the discovery of America.
For more than five centuries Americans have lifted Christopher Columbus to heights of greatness and god-like. We celebrate his life as though he was a man that had done us a great favor. In resent years Christopher Columbus has come under scrutiny, his life and works being questioned more than celebrated. There have be many great men and women that contributed to the building of our great nation but they do not receive anywhere as much recognition as Columbus. When a person begins to study the actual accounts of the "finding of the New World" they begin to wonder if Columbus should adored or hated for his actions. As a child I was taught that Columbus was a great man that had accomplished great things for the sake of humanity, but in reality his agenda was not to better humanity but to better himself. He found the Americas by mere chance and he did not even know of what he found. We give him credit for "finding" the Americas but history tells of the people, that he called Indians, already inhabiting the foreign land. So you decide whether or not Christopher Columbus should be revered a hero.
My personal opinion? Villain. Christopher Columbus was a nasty man who was motivated by greed. “The information that Columbus wanted most was: Where is the Gold” (Zinn 4)? He logged in his journal his first encounter with the Arawak people, stating “As soon as I arrived in the Indies, I took some of the natives by force in order that they might give me information of whatever there is in these parts” (Zinn 4). Their crime? “They wore tiny gold ornaments in their ears” (Zinn 5). Columbus would stop at nothing to gain what he most desired. Horrible as he was, he ultimately paved the way for America as we know it. All things happen for a reason, right?
Christopher Columbus, was he a hero, or villain? For about 500 years, people have praised him and celebrated his life as though he was someone who did good for us. Schools teach students that Columbus was a great man, found gold and pearls, and discovered new lands. Students are even taught the names of Christopher Columbus' three ships he used on his first voyage. However, they grow up not knowing the truth about Christopher Columbus, what he really did to 'accomplish' his tasks. I simply believe that schools should show both sides of Columbus' story, so that students can be aware of the facts behind the 'discovery' of Early America.
In the year of 1492, the Queen and King of Spain developed thoughts of strengthening their power and seeking new sources of wealth. This being stated the Queen and King had agreed on financing Christopher Columbus’s expedition, hoping it would bring the kingdom wealth (Ellis 2004). On October 12 Columbus had discovered a new location, due to this discovery; Latin America had been colonized by the Spanish conquistadors sent by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Overall, Latin America had been colonized for the sake of seeking wealth (Ellis 2004). Obtaining gold was the simple way of gaining wealth. Gold was the resource that attracted Spaniards to the Island of Hispaniola, because it was also King Ferdinand's interest (De la Riva 2003 ). Thus it ended up becoming the ultimate goal of the Christian Spaniards sent to Hispaniola to acquire gold and swell themselves in riches. (Las Casas 1552).Trading was also the key to getting wealthy; the more resources available for trade the more wealth will be gained. Resources in the New World attracted the Spanish conquistadors to Latin America; it was also what he...
Christopher Columbus discoveries enlightened the globe and started a new age of exploration. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand believed columbus would be very successful in discovering places that were rich in minerals and resources.They chose to sponsor and support Christopher Columbus’s voyage because of his capabilities and discoveries he could achieve. Christopher Columbus discoveries enlightened the globe and started a new age of exploration, changed the history of the whole globe. There was many advantage about working in between foreign affairs, one being Christopher Columbus skills and knowledge that gave Spain money and power. A disadvantage of working in between foreign affairs will be the other side not fulfilling their agreement. There are many qualifications Christopher Columbus had that made him a good candidate the voyage. Christopher Columbus was a brilliant vessel to the earth and left a legacy behind him for explorers and sailors around the
Many believe that Christopher Columbus had the genius idea of sailing west to get east, in order to find a new trade route to China (Christopher Columbus: Explorer of the New World). However, Christopher Columbus did not come up with this idea. He heard this idea from the Italian geographer, Tuscanelli (Christopher Columbus: Explorer of the New World). Columbus saw this as the key to opening the closed door to China, and took it on himself to present Tuscanelli’s idea to the King and Queen of Spain as his own idea (Christopher Columbus: Explorer of the New World). Columbus stole the idea behind his great expedition from Tuscanelli, giving little to no credit. Tuscanelli is not the only person Columbus stole from. A reward was offered to the first person who spotted land on Columbus’s first expedition in 1492 (Christopher Columbus: Explorer of the New World). On October 12th, 1492, land was spotted by one of Columbus’s crew members, Rodrigo de Triana (Minster). However, Christopher Columbus stole the reward away from Triana, insisting that he had seen a “glow” the night before, signaling the sign of land (Minster). However, those who Christopher Columbus stole the most from were the natives of the New World. Columbus stole men, women, and children from the New World, and took them back to Spain to parade around the newfound civilization (Columbus, Greed, Slavery, And Genocide). He also stole all the natives territory, claiming it for the Spanish crown (Kavesh). Columbus stole the natives right to freedom by enslaving them to work in gold mines. He stole the lives of millions of natives by working them to death, or ordering them to be murdered. Christopher Columbus stole essentially everything from the natives, eventually leading to the deaths of all the original natives of the New World (Minster). Christopher Columbus was a villain because he was a
In the year 1492, Christopher Columbus was sent out on an expedition by Spain to find a shorter water route to Asia. Ferdinand and Isabella sent out Columbus for two primary reasons: to spread religion and to secure wealth for Spain. Christopher Columbus’s explorations were more focused on securing wealth rather than spreading religion. His first journey demonstrated that his main goal was focused on economics through his valiant efforts to obtain wealth for himself and Spain, and everything he achieved after followed this pattern. Viewing all explorers’ voyages, and their overall purposes, supports the proposition that economics, and not religion, was the overriding goal.
In 1479 Columbus married the Portuguese noblewomen Dona Felipa e Perestrello e Moriz and established land in Porto Santo were his son Diego was born in 1480. When his wife died somewhere between 1481 to 1485, Columbus returned to Lisbon. As early as 1484 Columbus got a plan to sail west from the Canary Islands to the Indies (now East Indies) and the island kingdom of Cipangu (modern day Japan). When King John II declined Columbus’s “Enterprises to the Indies” he decided to go to the Spanish monarch. Columbus traveled to Cordoba, in 1488 he and his mistress had another son. Columbus presented his plan to King Ferdinan and Queen Isabella two different times but both times a counsel of experts rejected his project. Columbus’s ideas were made fun of by many in the court. However he received support from other powerful people, for example “Luis de Santagel”, “chancellor of the royal household of Aragon and prior Juan Prez (the Queen’s confessor). As a result of this Queen Isabella approved to Columbus’s project. Columbus’s first was to find a short voyage to the Indies by sailing west, and the second goal was to convert any foreign inhabitance to Christianity.