During the Age of Exploration beginning in the 15th century, European navigators set forth on voyages into the unknown. The world was beginning to be accepted as round, but the actual dimensions remained unclear. Christopher Columbus, using faulty calculations, tried to convince King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain that Asia was not only reachable through the West, but relatively nearby. Eventually, the Queen agreed, and in 1492, Columbus began his first voyage to that which became known as the New World.
Wealthy Europeans sought spices like salt partly to improve the taste of meat, but mostly for purposes of drying the meat for longer preservation. War with the Turkish empire made trade with the East difficult over land. A possible connection to Asia via the Atlantic ocean would avoid this problem entirely. Also, the wars in Europe were expensive. Exploration allowed the possibility of finding gold and silver to help pay the cost of battle. Exploration meant the possibility of new lands, and thus the possibility of the expansion of both an individual European nation, and of Christianity.
Columbus landed in 1492, in what he thought was India. Through this error, he called the natives he encountered “Indians”, a misnaming that survives to this day. The voyage resulted in the eventual conquest of these natives. With the Central Americans decimated by steel weaponry, warriors on horseback, and deadly European diseases, the vastly outnumbered Spanish took over.
References / Further Reading:
The Last Voyage of Columbus : Being the Epic Tale of the Great Captain's Fourth Expedition, Including Accounts of Swordfight, Mutiny, Shipwreck, Gold, War, Hurricane, and Discovery, by Martin Dugard
For a good look at a "what if" type historical fiction check out PASTWATCH by Orson Scott Card. Some people go back in time from our future, with the mission to prevent Cristopher Columbus from ever leaving the Americas. Very interesting read if it's your thing.
Posted by: ThrO192 | October 28, 2005 at 08:26 AM