What fundamental factors drew the Europeans to the exploration, conquest, and settlement of the new world?

John Chun

September 19, 2003

US History I Honors

Mr. Kerkendall

Question: What fundamental factors drew the Europeans to the exploration, conquest, and settlement of the new world?

The Discovery Of The New World

Major achievements, through means of failure, have immensely affected the history of mankind. Among such successful failures, the most noteworthy is Christopher Columbus’s accidental discovery of the New Worlds. For years, the Europeans, especially the Spanish, were endlessly searching for an alternate route to gain access to the fabled riches of Asia and the Indies. It may have been partly because the Portuguese have already controlled the obvious passageway toward the Indies around the southern tip of Africa. In the year of 1492, the Spanish backed Columbus, a skilled Italian seafarer, and allowed him to venture through uncharted waters in an attempt to discover other ways in getting to Asia. Searching to find an alternative and less costly route to the treasures of the Oriental, Columbus daringly decided to embark upon a voyage to the unknown west, which eventually led to the discovery of what now is known as the Americas. Upon setting foot on the New World, Columbus discovers a new race of people known as Indians, a misnomer given by Columbus himself thinking that he had arrived in the Indies. With such knowledge of the existence of a new race of people, many Christian missionaries eagerly enter into the New World in attempts to spread the faith. In addition, many conquistadors make many conquests into the New World in search for gold and glory, which lead into the discovery of uninhabited lands. Europeans quickly venture into these uninhabited lands and eventually set the grounds for the further exploration, conquests, and the settlement of the New World.

In the year of 1494, the Pope created the Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the New World between Spain and Portugal. The treaty divided the New World and gave a larger portion to Spain, which influenced Spain to be the leading colonizing power in the late 1400s and the early 1500s. In addition, the Spanish nation-state was entering an era of stability and power because of the unity created by the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, and the expulsion of the Muslim Moors from the Iberian Peninsula.

With the advancement of the new navigation methods ...

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In the year of 1494, the Pope created the Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the New World between Spain and Portugal. The treaty divided the New World and gave a larger portion to Spain, which influenced Spain to be the leading colonizing power in the late 1400s and the early 1500s. In addition, the Spanish nation-state was entering an era of stability and power because of the unity created by the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, and the expulsion of the Muslim Moors from the Iberian Peninsula.

With the advancement of the new navigation methods and instruments from all around the known world, the Spanish nation-state was able to make conquests into the New World often resulting in huge percent profits. Hernan Cortes, a Spanish conquistador, was one of the many who contributed to the accumulated wealth of Spain. He entered the city of Tenochtitlan, Mexico, which is where present day Mexico City is located, and stumbled across the Aztec empire. Upon arrival, he slowly made his way into the city and plundered the wealth of the Aztecs eventually massacring most of the population. Having discovered and successfully brought back large amounts of booty, many more Spanish conquistadors followed in Cortes’s footsteps and made many more conquests into the New World in attempts to gather the land’s treasures.

In result to many of the conquests taken by the Spanish conquistadors, many new uninhabited lands were discovered in the eastern regions of the Aztec empire. These lands were one of the many imperative reasons for why many of the Europeans began settlements in the New World. Europeans saw theses uninhabited lands to be perfect grounds for the new plantations that the Europeans sought. Slowly inhabiting the lands with more and more plantations, European settlements began to arise, and eventually alter the history of the Americas forever.

With the addition of European settlements in the New World, many elements of the European culture arrived as well. Many religious aspects of society slowly emigrated from Europe to the Americas. Christian missionaries, very eager to spread the Christian faith, quickly came over and preached the gospel. Converting many of the Native Americans with their powerful speeches, they became successful, and introduced the new way of life in the perspective of Christianity.

Many contributions from various factors from both the New and the Old World were key reasons for why the European exploration of the New World occurred. First, the pure accidental discovery of the Americas was one of the most important factors that laid the foundation for the exploration, conquests, and settlements. With years to come, the word of the discovery of the New World spread like wild fire, and eventually caused ambitions among the European society for the race for the exploration and conquest of the New World. The word of the Indians caused the Christian missionaries to travel across the vast waters and spread their faith. In addition, the fabled riches of what they think is the Indies caused countless conquests from the Spanish nation-state to plunder the riches of the lands. And finally, the discovery of the many uninhabited lands caused the European settlements to arise from the New World and forever alter the history of mankind.