American History: European Explorers and the New World

American History
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Lecturer's Name
Assignment Due Date
American History
Until the late fifteenth century, Europeans were unaware of the existence of North and South America. To European explorers, exploring the Western Hemisphere was like conquering an entirely different world. On arrival in the New World, European explorers encountered native populations, mostly Native Americans and American Indians (Cruz Berrocal et al., 2020). The primary motives behind the exploration of European nations in the New World revolved around economy, religion, and glory. European countries wanted to develop their economy by acquiring more gold and spices and accessing direct trading routes (Gartner, 2010). They also wanted to spread Christianity and explore their interest, like fame from discovering new land.
Spain, in particular, was motivated by the need to find Northwest Passage, which they believed was the quickest route to the Orient- home of spices, wealth, and skills. In addition, the Spanish explorers were in dire need of mineral wealth, which made them search for El Dorado: - the City of Gold (Kelsey, 2018). They also aspired to spread Christianity through indigenous conversations and expand national power and prestige through imperial control.
History depicts that Christopher Columbus and Juan Ponce de Leon led the Spanish exploration of the New World. They invaded and occupied most parts of North, South, and Central America. In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, hoping to find a direct route to Asia to trade for spices (O'Brien & Verlaan, 2013). Accidentally, he saw new lands with stable cultures and communities, leading to his discovery of the New World (Cruz Berrocal et al., 2020). With this first voyage, Spanish explorers and conquistadors established a colonial empire that transformed Spain into a great colonial power. Spanish fleet returned from the New World to possess precious minerals like gold, silver, and gemstones (Gartner, 2010). Spanish missionaries also traveled the New World to spread Christianity and conver...