what is spanish exploration
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Exploration and settlement of the New World (the European term for North and South America) began in the late fifteenth century as a direct result of events in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. One of the most significant influences was the Crusades (1095–1291), a failed Christian movement to recapture the Holy Land (a region in the Middle East comprising parts of modern Israel, Jordan, and Egypt; today known as Palestine) from the Muslims (followers of the Islamic religion). During four hundred years of interaction with Middle Eastern cultures, Europeans discovered the learning of the Muslims, which enabled them to make significant advances in exploration. For instance, they drafted more accurate maps of the known world, built swifter ships, and charted sea routes by observing the position of the Sun. Another important development was the introduction of luxury goods, such as silks and spices, that came from China and the East Indies (India and adjacent lands and islands in the Far East), which created a thriving market in Europe.
Motivated by visions of huge profits, adventurers were willing to take risks in searching for trade routes to previously unknown lands. At that time, the only way for Europeans to reach the Far East was to sail south along the west coast of Africa and then east into the Indian Ocean. The most direct route was through the Mediterranean Sea, but the eastern end of that waterway was controlled by Turkey, a Muslim foe of the Europeans. Portugal was the first country to send explorers eastward. Financed by merchants, they traveled down the African coast in search of gold and ivory. The Portuguese also became involved in the small but lucrative business of buying African slaves from Muslim traders. Soon Spain began competing with Portugal to find the best trade routes. The Spanish had also assumed the role of defender of Roman Catholicism throughout the world, and they seized the opportunity to conquer new lands and convert "pagans" to Christianity. (Roman Catholicism is a branch of Christianity that is based in Rome, Italy, and headed by a pope who has supreme authority in all church affairs.) Thus the stage was set for the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), an Italian navigator who sailed for Spain.
After Columbus opened the way into the New World, the Spanish moved into Peru and Mexico, where they conquered wealthy native civilizations. Then in the 1530s they began exploring the southeastern and southwestern regions of North America in hopes of finding more treasure. Spanish settlement in North America was limited to these areas, which are often called the borderlands, by the French (see Chapter 3) and the English (see Chapters 4 and 5). Consequently, Spain did not settle in any of the original thirteen colonies that became the United States. Nevertheless, the Spanish presence in the borderlands—especially on the Atlantic coast and near the Gulf of Mexico—significantly shaped the history of the colonial period.
Explanation:
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Explanation:
Exploration and settlement of the New World (the European term for North and South America) began in the late fifteenth century as a direct result of events in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Financed by merchants, they traveled down the African coast in search of gold and ivory.