Motives For Exploration
Until the late 1400's, Europeans did not know the existence of the two American continents ( North and South America ). To the European explorers, exploring the other side of the Atlantic was like exploring an entire different world, hence the name- the New World. In 1492, Christopher Columbus unknowingly discovered the new continent. His original motives for exploring was to find an easier route to Asia but instead, he discovered the New World. Thus; Spain, France and England began sending out conquistadors and explorers to the uncharted terrains of the new continent. Motives for the Spanish, French, and English explorers varied greatly, however, they were similar in some ways. The motives of the Spanish explorers were acquisition of mineral wealth, spread of Christianity, search of El Dorado, search of Northwestern Passage, and thrill of adventure. The treasures that Columbus brought back to Spain enticed many adventurous explorers and sent them searching for gold and silver. Missionary clergymen sought to serve God by converting the natives to Christianity. By 1634, the area of present-day Florida and Georgia was home to 30 Spanish missionaries, 44 missionary stations, and 30,000 Indian converts to
Motives for the Spanish, French, and English were alike in that they all wanted to find the Northwest Passage and they all had the curiosity of what the New World held. However there were more differences in their motives than there were likenesses. Spain was motivated by gold and silver, spreading Christianity, El Dorado, and the thrill of adventure. France was motivated by the successful fur trade and trading posts. England's motivation was riches from colonization, religious and political freedom and more land. From the search for gold and silver to wanting more land, it all boiled down to the countries being greedy. They all knew that they would profit, whether it be from gold ( Spain ), trading ( France ) , or colonies ( England ). But from these three countries, America has been enriched by their heritage. A source of strength, this heritage still lives today - centuries after the initial European exploration and settlement - a distinctive American civilization has been created. Passage to the Orient. But after the failure of two more expeditions, the Company of Cathay went bankrupt. After England defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, England became the leader of the three major European countries.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 918
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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