...Mihir Patel Western Civilization Columbus’ Voyages Lead to Globalization In the period of 15th and 16th century, Europe was in a wave to discover the world and compatible to conquer the lands around the globe. It was an era of many radical changes. Around Europe, new political, religions, and economic systems were establishing and were desperate to build novel relationship with the people around the globe. Many sailors were competing to discover the new world and start the global exchange process. Therefore, the historians today label it as the “Age of Discovery.” In the age of discovery, Europe was in search of water path to India because the Persian society had conquered the road path known as the “Silk Road” and blocked the exchange between...
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...West Indies during the time of his first voyage in 1492. Upon his arrival, Columbus wrote a detailed letter to Luis de Santangel, a financial minister and treasurer, who took interest in Columbus’s journey. Through Luis de Santangel, Columbus was able to receive aid from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella during his voyage. In the context of the letter, Columbus included information on the islands he had discovered on his first voyage, including the names he gave to the islands that he came in contact with. Christopher Columbus wrote to Luis de Santangel in form of a letter, which originally was written in April of 1493, after his first voyage, which was first issued in Barcelona, Spain. According to Julius Olson and Edward Bourne (1906), “Columbus sent a duplicate of this letter with some slight changes to Gabriel Sanxis (Spanish form, Sanchez), the treasurer of Aragon, from whose hands a copy came into the possession of Leander de Cosco, who translated it into Latin, April 29, 1493” (p. 261). Many people today know Christopher Columbus as one of greatest explorers in all of history. As an individual, Columbus achieved great success throughout his life. Columbus’s discovery of the Americas shocked everyone due to the fact that it was unknown and had not been discovered earlier. Although Columbus is viewed as a success today, before writing this letter to Luis de Santangel and setting sail on his first voyage, he was just an ordinary individual. According...
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...credit of the discovery of the Americas. One thing that textbooks do get correct is that Columbus wasn’t the only explorer, or even the first that jumpstarted the Age of Discovery. What textbooks do forget to portray though, is the high probability of Pre-Columbian expeditions to the Americas. Evidence of this can be seen in the existence of Africans in Indian villages during this Pre-Columbian period, and also in other historical texts that proved the existence of other settlements, example being the Vikings in present-day Canada. The minimization of the role of other cultures and voyages in the discovery of the Americas before Columbus is the largest reason why Columbus is revered today. Also adding on to the problem, is the fact that many history textbooks today include the same mistakes, so many as to if they were copied into each one. Publishers of these textbooks minimize the importance of other explorers, and instead continue to glorify an undeserving hero. But why you may ask. Why do the publishers continue to exalt a man who has abducted natives to be...
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...accomplished through perseverance and faith” (Robinson). Columbus is most well known for his discovery of the Americas but with this came so much more. From 1492 many accomplishments, discoveries, and plagues had left a mark in history. Following the discovery, the entire world had been influenced from the Columbian Exchange where a new trade route started between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. From the exchange, the chance to explore new cultures, foods and crops became a major opportunity. Though many people believe Columbus was a hero, there were some negative aspects about his voyages. Native American’s lifestyles changed drastically once the Spanish stepped foot on their territory. African and Native Americans were slaves that were forced to change their religion and culture. Also, the spread of diseases, no one thought existed, disrupted the population all over the world. Christopher Columbus is a controversial figure that impacted Modern World History. Many people debate if he is a hero or a villain. Whether people believe that this impact was positive or negative, Columbus is viewed as the courageous and dedicated explorer who made an impression by his voyages all over the globe. Without Christopher Columbus’s ambitions, the discovery of the Americas and the dedication to keep his settlement there may have never happened. It was difficult for Columbus to start his voyages because the Portuguese...
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...HISTORY SBA FACTORS THAT MOTIVATED THE EUROPEAN VOYAGE TO THE NEW WORLD Technology 2010 Name: Tashena Edwards Registration #: Subject: History School: St Andrews High Centre #:100108 Date: March 2012 D Topics page Rationale……………………………………………… Introduction…………………………………………. Body of Research………………………………… Appendices…………………………………………. Conclusion………………………………………………. End Notes…………………………………………….. Bibliography……………………………………………… Theme: The Indigenous people and the Europeans Thesis statement: “To what extent is it safe to say that the advancement of technology was one the main factor that lead to the discovery of the new world?” Europe in the fourteenth century was different from what it is today, mainly because of their advancement in technology. Throughout the centuries European states has stretched there vast empires so as to achieve riches. So I challenged myself, what was it that helped the Europeans to achieve such supremacy. My answer came plain and simple it was their voyages to and from the New World. These voyages came about because of the new technology and to greater extent knowledge. This advancement didn’t only allow them riches, because they did benefited highly. It also created a path way for great discovery that subsequently; cause a change over and with that discovery allowed the world to be what it is today. In the 1450s invention of the printing press which made available books, maps, travel...
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...“The Atlantic” was published in 1999 and talks about Columbus’ voyages, noting upon the wealth that Columbus expected could come from the New World. This commerce is explained more with the import ports that Butel speaks to for importing and exporting goods around the Atlantic. When the Catholic Kings of Spain granted Columbus his voyage, it was the first time that a Spanish navigator would push the limits of the Mediterranean world and removed the idea that the ocean to be considered the “Sea of Perpetual Gloom.” However, it wasn't until Columbus and his discoveries that Spain gained its maritime power because they had devoted everything to the efforts of the Reconquista against the Moors of Grenada. Columbus’ voyage was not as easy as he calculated with inspiration from Marco Polo and the bible. Believing the voyage would only be 2080 miles, he struggled to keep the moral and loyalty of his people when he realized it was actually 12,000 miles. In fact, Columbus’ crew had asked him to return after thoughts of failure had encompassed the crew. After holding true to his beliefs, the Columbus voyage struck land the next...
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...1. What is meant by the term Encomienda? The word encomienda is the system introduced in 1503, under which a Spanish soldier or colonist was granted a tract of land or a village together with its Indian inhabitants. 2. Explain why Spain decided to finance Columbus voyage of discovery. Although Spain did not have much faith in Columbus, they decided to finance Columbus’ voyage for a number of reasons. Firstly, it gave Spain a chance to beat Portugal in the race to the East. Secondly, they all expected to make huge profits if he was successful. They agreed that all the lands discovered would be the restricted property of the House if Castile and only the Castilians could live there. Thirdly, the queen promised to make him a nobleman and an admiral of the Spanish navy. In addition, his three caravels would receive the title ‘Viceroy’ with all the lands he discovered. This was a win win situation for them if Columbus was successful. 3. “European voyages of discovery would not have been possible without the Renaissance.” Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer fully. I agree. This Revolution made people search not only land but also tools for sea voyages. The ability to produce instruments was one big reason for the success of exploration. Sea travel was not an easy task for anyone during this time. However, the invention of instruments made travelling the sea easier. The many instruments produced during the Renaissance included the compass, the astrolabe...
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...Native-Europeans Interactions The era of Imperialism was an era of discovery and conquests. It began in the early 16th Century. Imperialism is the extension of one country by forcefully taking over another area of land for economic growth. One country that had become the victim of imperialism was Africa. European countries discovered that they could easily take over the tribes, and they had an enviroment good for agriculture. Natives of the land became enslaved towards the more powerful Europeans. The leader of the countries had a hunger to be the more powerful, superior country in the Europe, and having the most land was one of the key factors. When The Americas were discovered it be the first type of imperialism. They not only almost take over the entire west coast of the world, they nearly wiped the entire population of the natives.(Britt) People like Hernan Cortes, Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, and Cosme de Torres each arrived in a foreign country to try to expand their own beliefs to their country’s belief. Cosme de Torres went to Japan to try to convert the natives to Christianity, but while he was there he was heavily influenced by the Japanese. Hernan Cortes was a Spanish Conquistador who sought to take over the lands of Mexico. The author of the excerpt is an Aztec descendant, Miguel Leon-Portilla. He is an anthropologist who studied his ancestors very closely. He was successful with 4 of his novels, all having to do with the Aztec people. He was heavily...
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...When we discuss the discovery and colonization of the Americas, Columbus often comes to mind first. These days we analyze Christopher Columbus in various ways. Was he a pioneer that changed the world for the better? Or was he a man who began the end of a native way of life? Can we actually accuse Christopher Columbus of mass murder? These questions will most likely never be answered. One fact is certain: from 1492 and throughout the 16th century, Latin America’s native population was invaded, conquered, enslaved, and killed. Wasserman and Martin described it perfectly when they wrote, “Almost overnight, the natives of the Caribbean went from trading partners to slaves.” [Wasserman, pg. 80] Columbus envisioned a vast array of trading posts to come out from his discoveries. What happened instead was colonization. It is clear that Columbus’ search for wealth, trading routes, gold, and fame led to the mass destruction of the native population of Latin America. Columbus described the natives as “very intelligent,” and “a very fine people.” [Four Voyages, pg. 96] He believed from the start that these people could easily be converted to Christianity because of their honest, sincere character. The obsession that Queen Isabella had with spreading Christianity actually gave Columbus the opportunity to take the voyage. When gold was discovered, more settlers began arriving. Island-by-Island was taken over and the native population was used to extract resources. This was all done in the...
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...Harrison conflates “American life” with European occupation. Christopher Columbus himself was Italian, not “American,” as the idea of “America” was established until 1776 with the publishing of the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, the choice to celebrate Christopher Columbus as an American hero is incorrect given he wasn’t from “American” land, nor did the idea of America exist during Columbus’s lifetime. The celebration of Christopher Columbus in the United States ignores the existence of any previous inhabitants of North America - the land that is presently considered the United States. Additionally, Columbus himself never set foot in North America, nor did Columbus realize he “discovered” new land. The goal of Columbus’s first voyage was to chart a new route to...
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...some research you will find out that he wasn’t the only one. Evidence shows that there was another man who discovered America seventy years before, Zheng He. He was a Chinese admiral during the Ming Dynasty, who also served as the Ming Dynasty Emperor and leader of seven voyages in the Indian Ocean. Christopher Columbus and Zheng He were both great travelers with great differences in their journey. Columbus’ story is one of great greed and domination while Zheng’s however one of a more noble cause. Very rarely, does the name Zheng He ever come up unless you’re in China. But he was a very important traveler in the world of discovery and he predates many of the more famous explorers. The purpose of his travel and explorations was to display the power of China while also creating better relations with other nations and setting up trade agreements in different parts of the world. One of the things that Zheng He’s voyages are known for is the size of the fleets that he commanded. In all, there were seven voyages headed up by Zheng He, including voyages to East Africa, India, and Arabia. Zheng He and his expedition exemplified the highest level of ancient Chinese propriety in terms of foreign trade. Zheng’s voyage stimulated and inspired the development of overseas trade. His journey had a double-edged effect as those who traveled and returned brought back their positive experiences from other nations and helped to positively influence the lives of a great number of people. The...
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...1492- Columbus discovers America Who was the first person that discovered America? It was discovered by a man named Christopher Columbus by accident when he was looking for pearls, gold, and spices. How was it even discovered? Christopher columbus claimed to discover america, but was it really his discovery? It was actually discovered by thinking the world was flat. The search began in Europe, on the year 1492. Christopher columbus was an italian navigator and discoverer of islands, born in the republic of Genoa before October 31, 1451, and died May 20, 1506. He had two children named Diego and Fernando. His spouse was Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, who was a Portuguese noblewoman. He married her in 1479. He was in office from 1492-1499. He sailed across the atlantic from spain trying to find a brand new route to India....
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...Frq Essay During 1450 through 1650, Europe went through a period of significant economic growth. Influences such as the discovery of new worlds and its riches and exotic produces, inflation of taxation within lower economic levels, and a rise in the previously lower population helped create this growth. Of course, smaller factors such as wars, religion, geography, and power shifts also greatly contributed to it. From 1450 to 1650, Europe experienced an age of discovery, possibly the greatest influence to its economic growth. The period is distinguished as a time when the Europeans began exploring the world by sea in hopes of finding trading partners, new goods, and trade routes. Many countries began to explore for good, spices or maybe even gold, but main reason for exploration was the longing to find a new route for the spice and silk trades since traveling via the Silk Road had been restricted for Europeans by the Ottoman Empire, whom had just acquired Constantinople. The most famous of the voyages of this era are of Christopher Columbus sail to America in 1492. This voyage set off the competition between European nations too not only claim land but also for other goods, such as tobacco and most importantly gold. Europe had limited resources in valuable metals and the economy needed gold and silver. The gain of the exploration of the New World was vastly influential to the economy. Gold and silver flooded into Europe, particularly into Spain and eventually into the hands...
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...Columbus Had Good Intentions Jessica Peace Wayland Baptist University Documentation of Columbus’s journeys and explorations has created profoundly different opinions from those who study him. Columbus was a not a “wholly bad”(Royal, 2000, p.36) person, he did have genuine care and concern for the land and the Indians but he had duty and honor to his country that took precedence over anything else. Columbus was an eager but flawed man with documented contradictory actions but nonetheless is the root of why we get to call America home. Columbus’s discovery was both an invasion and a discovery; the land was new to European knowledge but an invasion of Indian Territory. It is undeniable the land was inhabited by tribes of Indians whom Columbus respected but saw them as inferior creatures as “they bear no arms, and are all naked and of no skill in arms, and so very cowardly that a thousand would not stand against three” (Sale, 2000, p.33). Although there is evidence of generous and harsh treatment of the Indians, it is irrefutable that Columbus claimed occupied land. Columbus saw opportunity and seized it, just as we are encouraged to do today. The Indians had a wealth of opportunity before them and Columbus believed they were too ignorant to value it. Columbus is no different than an eager entrepreneur of the 21st century who grasps opportunities to take something and improve it. Columbus knew the trees and other resources “would be of great value in Spain, as dyeing materials...
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...contained many navigable and accurate maps of the time which guided their voyages.Dias’ discovery of the Cape of Good Hope an accident because he was caught in a storm which misconfigured his navigation and lead him far off course. He then tried to return home, and on his way he encountered a peninsula which turned out to be the tip of Africa. This accident was so significant because it had opened up a new, promising, sea route which reached Asia and came from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.The significance of Vasco de Gama’s voyage is that with the knowledge of Dias' voyage, he was able to sail around Africa, and reach India in search of trade. I do not believe that either one of these voyages can compare with one another. For without Gama's discovery, Dias would not know about such a voyage. In comparison, without Dias' successful encounter with another route to the prosperous land of India, history would have taken much longer to promote such another encounter.Columbus' family background was not a wealthy one, so he did not receive any wealthy education. Throughout his teenage years he was known to have traveled extensively by sea which had gained him a lot of experience with becoming a sufficient navigator. He received half of sponsorship from Spain, the other half from private investors, some, though, felt as if the distance was far too extensive. He had reached the Bahamas upon his voyage, but he believed it was India so he called the inhabitants "Indians". It turns out that...
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