Spanish Exploration of North America - Report Example

SPANISH EXPLORATION OF NORTH AMERICA Introduction The age of exploration enabled several European nations to discover new regions in their quest to find new technological trends. However, each nation presented different motives for exploration of the new lands. For the majority of the explorers, their motive to explore had been to attain new measures in developing trade ventures. The explorers from France, England and Spain developed different measures and reasons to engage in the trade patterns, but offered similarity in acquiring an easier route to the Orient. This measure had been an area that offered a wealth, the finest silk and dubbed the home of spices. However, Spain presented their search to acquire El Dorado, and spread Christianity to the world. The exploration age was presented at the century when nations had craved for development and acquired added acquisitions to their society. The era presented numerous developments in the economic, political and social ventures. This motive dictated the changes that developed the economies of the nation. Spain was no exception and similar motives had been included in their desire to explore the Northern America. The most known provision by the Spain to explore North America had been in trade activities that allowed the development of their economy1. Although exploration of North America by the Spanish originated as a search for a path to the Orient in search of a way to accumulate more wealth, as social, economic, and religious climates changed, so did the reason and purpose of the explorations. During the 1400s, The King and Queen of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella had the presentation to expand their nations and create a powerful nation in Spain. They had the desire to become a leading force within the European society and saw the opportunity to sponsor explorations that would boost the economy. They had agreed to fund the voyage by Columbus in the exploration of the new dimensions. The Spanish capital had gained favor from the explorer to venture into the new dimensions of acquiring wealth with the failed efforts by the Portuguese to work with Columbus. The royalty presented a fortune for the exploration, and the motive presented had been in the political power that had been centered in the race to gain control of the Orient2. This had been in the wealth presented in Asia that the Portuguese fought to gain dominance before the Spanish would achieve. Columbus came as the perfect opportunity that saw the emergence of the race to conquer the new region and find measures to expand the political and economic economy in Spain. Spain had also developed the motive to spread Christianity to the new world. The urge to explore the new environments had been developed in the 15th and 16th century. The presentation included the Protestant reformation and the introduction of the system that favored Christianity. The explorers saw the motive to articulate measures to reform the church ad restore the order that saw faith in the Supreme Being. The leading factors that had determined the inclusion of the exploration expedition by Spain into the new world had been determinant on the availability of a wealthy monarch that had been charged with the responsibility to expand the territories3. Christopher Columbus approached Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain at an opportune time when he asked them to finance his expedition to find a direct path to the Orient. Portugal had already explored to the west but had not been successful in finding this path. Ferdinand and Isabella agreed to compensate Christopher Columbus with 10% of all riches he discovered, and he would have control of all the lands he founded. In a letter to the Queen and King Christopher Columbus outlined his plan for the "colonization and commerce" of lands discovered and not yet discovered4. Christopher Columbus continues to outline how all gold would be not only accounted for, but stamped, marked, and registered a notary. He was remarkably clear in his direction of how the gold would be inventoried, disbursed and protected. The idea of churches and priests as well as "conversion of the Indians" was a minor topic that involved little discussion. Even though the idea of gold and riches seemed to consume Columbus, Ferdinand and Isabella also felt the need to explore other worlds for other reasons. In 1492 the Muslim hold on Spain had finally lessened and Spain was united. After having already been rejected by both John II of Portugal and Henry VIII of England, Columbus took advantage of the perfect opportunity to approach the Spanish and convince them to concentrate on overseas exploration5. After seven years of rejection, the contract was signed. The Portuguese had lost their opportunity to involve Columbus in their expedition because they thought his theory had been based on assumptions. In 1492, under the permission of the Spanish capital, Columbus had been issued the resources he had needed for the expedition. He had encountered the Arawak on his initial expedition and was the indigenous people in the Bahamas whom he imprisoned to transport back to Spain. The first voyage that he had completed had been included to present enough evidence to the monarch who would judge his efforts based on the findings that had been delivered. On the trip, he presented resources in small quantities in gold, parrots and other findings that had been exotic to the commissioners. The result was successful and saw Spain order an added expedition to accord Columbus more strength to deliver extra results that could be recognized. This presented the political and economic motive of pain as she saw potential in the expansion that had been required in the competition against the rivals. Columbus eventually reached Asia and reported the findings to the monarch in 1493, which saw three more voyages, lead him to the West Indies. The findings saw added speculation within the Spanish Capital and expressed the desire to acquire more land. There had been the belief that Columbus’ expedition had held extra content to which the results had not been entirely revealed. Ferdinand Magellan saw his desire to be commissioned under Spain approved after he was issued the resources required for his expedition in 1529. Magellan had been given five ships and set sail with 250 men to find the strait. The impact of the exploration by Columbus revealed the Americas to the world with Magellan revealing the possibility of a worldwide sail. The motive to explore and find new colonies to expand the territory and political power in Spain had been revealed to the citizens as the leading motive to permit the expedition6. After the revelation, Columbus led to the migration of the Spanish citizens to the new colonies that led to economic development. With the establishment of the new settlements in the acquired colonies, Spain had been accorded the opportunity to develop economic factors as the regions desired development of the established lands. The settlers within the new land found resources that had been included in their territory and developed mining activities that promised valuable wealth to their sustenance. Gold and silver had been among the new acquisitions and farming became an economic activity to plant sugar cane. Technological advances had been developed in agriculture that developed new crops in sweet potatoes and pineapples. The other development recognized for the Spanish colonization had been placed in Christianity that had been their leading religion. Priests forced the natives to be converted into Christians with the introduction of slavery. The slaves were subjected to the working conditions in the farms to present new products that promised to deliver advances in crop production. The development to promote agriculture boosted the Spanish economy to present power as compared to the rivals in Portugal and France. Spain saw the need apply other measures to gain the desired improvement in economic developments that promised outstanding results in power acquisition. There had been the need to increase the labor force on the land that provided the need for agricultural expansion. West Africa proved to be the destination that would be utilized to deliver the noticed results and develop slavery as a trade in Europe. After Columbus’ expeditions, Spain saw the possibility of expansion using exploration as an easier means. Spain became eager to develop the territory acquired with the direct route to Asia seizing to be the single channel needed to achieve the needed development7. In 1519, Hernan Cortes was sent to find other exploration routes. The other expeditions had been commissioned to seize the available wealth of the found natives to develop an added system of wealth acquisition. The conquests sent within the American land promised tremendous results to Spain and developed the economy of the famous nation. The transformation witnessed had led to the achievement in including foreign policies within the rule in the Monarch. This was developed in the establishment of foreign relations with the colonized lands and trade that boosted the relations. The initial perception developed to include the need to acquire a direct route to the ad that had been believed to contain opportunities led to the eventual discovery of alternative channels that proved to expand Spain’s borders in the age that held technological advances and the desired development. The wealth from America boosted the economic and political power of Spain among the competitors and accorded the nation power sought after in the other nations. The minerals and new agricultural products were transported via the ships to the capital and promised to deliver the development needed to achieve economic progress. The other effect of the provision had been seen in the population increase. With the opportunities presented, there had been increased population size to explore the presented opportunities and obtain new products8. A trend had been established to differentiate the classes within the economy in the Spanish society. As the number of individuals increased, expeditions had been sought to find spaces to accommodate the number. The provision entailed the settlement of the colonized nations in America to work on the farm. This had been both a social and economic factor leading to the expeditions set to the Northern America. There was the need to contain the inflation within the economy to reduce the burden placed on the Monarchs. They had been presented with the quagmire of rebuilding the nation because they had failed in their attempt to rebuild the collapsing Spanish economy. With the initial expedition, new commodities in gold and silver had been introduced within the economy9. The inflation increased the supply of the financial gain and reduced goods production that led to Impairment in the economy. The voyages sent later to the newly acquired colonies had been directed to the motive of production. Technological advances had been included to expand the economy and boost agricultural relations. The advancement had been included in the introduction of new animals within the economy of America to serve as alternatives to the harsh conditions presented. America had promised a rich climate that would favor the sustenance of Spanish economy. The extension had been further included in the desire to establish a dominant civilization that they had developed10. The conversion witnessed had been directed not only on the Christian front, but also introduce the system that favored the cultural sustenance. As they attempted to acquire the new territories, the presented provision had been included in assimilating the natives into their desires that would in turn present easier incentives to achieve the dominance required. The social presentation accorded involved merging Spanish culture with the existing native practices. The native Indians within the colonies had been converted into Christianity through the slaves and the other tribes enslaved to be involved in the production process. The developed motive in converting the natives into Christianity and introducing the Spanish culture within the new colonies proved vital for the preceding motive of exploration. The final presentation saw Spanish citizens migrate from the capital to venture into the colonized land. This provision had been developed due to the need to settle on the discovered land with massive opportunity. They had discovered minerals, developed a new technology to favor agricultural sustenance and increased production within the economy. Conclusion The expedition set under the monarch in Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand had promised to find a direct route to China that had promised easier trade ventures and expand Spain’s dominance. Although the direct route to Orient prompted the initial expeditions of Spain in North America, there had been external factors that prompted the evolution of the expedition. Spain had discovered a land that promised notable wealth within the economy to sustain the population11. With the increasing number, there had been greater demand for food and wealth. The colonized nations did not present the expected challenge to offer rebellion. Spain, therefore, presented the interest in delivering a sustainable economy through conquerors. They presented the other motive for colonization in conversion and prevalence of Christianity with the Priests spearheading the campaign. The motive had then gradually shifted to political, economic and social platforms that promised a stronger Spain among the rivals. The tool that they used had been in Northern American exploration that had been full of opportunities. The motive to discover a cheap means to the promised Orient that held added potential had been turned into the realization to increase power12. The increased population had found an environment to integrate without resistance. Bibliography Allen, L. John. “From Cabot to Cartier: The Early Exploration of Eastern North America” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 82.3, The Americas before and after 1492: Current Geographical Research (Sep., 1992), pp. 500-521 Blakely, L. Robert and Detweiler-Blakely, Bettina “The Impact of European Diseases in the Sixteenth-Century: A Case Study”. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 29(3): pp. 433-479. 1915. Clarence H. Haring. “American Gold and Silver Production in the First Half of the Sixteenth Century”. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 29 (3): pp. 433-479. 1915. Earl J. Hamilton, American Treasure and the Price Revolution in Spain, 1501-1650. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1934. Harley, J. Brian. "Rereading the Maps of the Columbian Encounter." Annals of the Association of American Geographers 82.3, The Americas Before and After 1492: Current Geographical Research. Sept. 1992: 522-536. Mapp, Paul W. The elusive West and the contest for empire, 1713-1763. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. 2011. Restall, Matthew. Seven myths of the Spanish conquest. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004. Sturtevant, William C. Handbook of North American Indians. Washington: Smithsonian Institution. 1978. Watkins, T.H. “The Profile of a History.” Design Quarterly, No. 101/102, The River: Images of the Mississippi. 1976, pp. 10-15 Wilson, M. Samuel. “Surviving European Conquest in the Caribbean” Revista de Arqueología Americana, Etnohistoria Yociedades antiguas en norte y mesoamérica, (12): pp. 141-160. 1997. Read More