The Effect of Christopher Columbus’ Voyage on The World

The factors that inspired people to undergo such a journey despite the risk of failures and danger would be similar to Columbus’ in which Columbus sought after admiration from the royal highest of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, wealth, and major accomplishment that leads to being recognized. Besides, I believe that missionary work or spreading the words of one’s religion could inspire people to take on this challenge as Columbus believe the natives needed to be re-civilized and saved by religion.

According to Christopher Columbus’ journals, the long voyage rendered his men disgruntled and exhausted when they did not land to their where they set forth for. To appease his men, Columbus told the men they were closer to the destination they set forth for than they were, and Columbus elected leaders for his ship that could lead his men. His men were fearful that they were a part of a failed mission that other explorers experienced on their voyage to the New World as they witnessed the remains of parts of a defunct vessel in the ocean. Eventually, Columbus and his men came near a tiny island that belongs to the Lucayos named Guanahani in the Indian language. Columbus described the people of that island as poor and naked, well endowed, and painted on their faces. They appeared to be kind and easy to manipulate. From the except, Columbus and his men believed that they were conquerable and needed saving with Christianity since the natives might not have a religion. The men of Columbus wanted to bring six of the natives back to Columbus’ homeland to educate the natives Columbus’ language.

In my analysis, during Columbus' first expedition, Columbus thought that he landed in India in 1492, but actually, he landed in the American continent and saw the continent as a land of wealth. He then returned to Spain to deliver the news to the royals. The royals thought that the news was a way to gain an economic advantage to compete with other European countries at that time. In the subsequent voyage in 1493, Columbus left Cadiz to the Americas where he established Spain's first colony in the Americas. The Indians were heavily taxed in gold or enslaved gold mining, and some of the victims were captured and shipped back to Europe for sale.

Columbus' expedition opened the doors for more Spanish expansion and future expedition. Spanish explorers were relentless in their pursuit of obtaining gold, land, and wealth after they became inspired by the golden rivers and the timid along with naive locals. According to the textbook, here is an example of another voyager Hernandez Cortes who also wanted to gain privileges for his family and wanted to receive tributes and labors from the locals. As a result, Cortez invaded the Aztec Empire in 1519 because the gold and wealth of the Aztecs attracted the Spaniard. Cortez wanted to conquer the city of the Aztecs by kidnapping the King Montezuma II, but this angered the Tenochtitlans, who rose up against the intruders in the city. Cortes came up with a way to establish an alliance with the local people who hated Aztecs. The Spaniards took advantage of the disunity among the various Aztec empire and occupied Tenochtitlan.

In conclusion, Columbus's voyage opened up new routes, which made the exchanges from Europe to Asia, America, and Africa increasingly close, and the world began to form a whole, and it also laid the foundation for the initial formation of the world market. However, it formed the Atlantic Triangle trade centered on the European industrial countries, which has lost tens of thousands of laborers in Africa and made the Americas a production base of Europe. And Europe embarked on the path of colonial expansion, causing poverty and backwardness in countries and regions in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.