Columbus would have been inspired by wealth, fame, and admiration for his accomplishments. I think that missionary or religious work can also motivate people. Columbus thought the natives would be saved and re-civilized through religion.
In the journals of Christopher Columbus, his men were disgruntled when they didn’t reach their destination. Columbus tried to appease his men by telling them they were nearer the destination than they thought they were. He also appointed leaders who could guide his crew. They were afraid that their men would join the failed missions of other explorers who had travelled to the New World. Columbus and some of his men arrived at a tiny Lucayo island called Guanahani. Columbus described those people as being poor, naked, with a lot of wealth, and having painted faces. They were kind and easy-to-manipulate. Columbus and some of his men were convinced that natives had no religion and could be conquered. Columbus and his men believed that the natives were conquerable, but needed saving with Christianity.
According to my analysis, Columbus believed that he had landed on the Indian continent in 1492. In reality, he was actually in America and thought of the continent as being a land rich in wealth. He returned to Spain, where he told the Spanish royals about the discovery. The royals believed that this news would give them an advantage in the economic war with other European nations at that time. Columbus’s second voyage, in 1493 to the Americas, saw him establish Spain’s very first colony. Indians were forced to work in gold mines or were made slaves for the purpose of mining gold.
Columbus’ voyage opened the door for future Spanish exploration and expansion. Spanish explorers became obsessed with gold, wealth, and land after being inspired by the locals and their timidity. In the textbook, Hernandez Cortes is cited as an example who also wanted privileges and benefits for his family. Cortez invaded Aztec Empire because of their wealth and gold in 1519. Cortez attempted to conquer Aztec City by kidnapping Montezuma. This angered Tenochtitlans. They rose up and fought the invaders. Cortes figured out a clever way to make an alliance the locals, who were anti-Aztec. The Spaniards used the disunity of the Aztec empires to occupy Tenochtitlan.
Columbus’ voyage led to new routes and a globalization of trade. The world was formed and the market began to take shape. The Atlantic Triangle trade, centered around industrialized European countries, has led to the exodus of tens-of-thousands of African workers and the emergence of the Americas as a European production base. Europe has embarked in a colonial policy that has caused poverty in Asia and Africa as well as Latin America.
