Motivations Behind European Expansion

311 Words2 Pages
Based upon your readings and class discussions, describe the motivations behind European expansion and its impact on the development of the Caribbean Historical experience. Based upon my readings and participation in class discussions, I have come to the conclusion that the motivation behind European expansion was greed. Once Marco Polo returned to Europe with goods from China and India, merchants began to pass goods from one another in order to make a profit along the trade route. Due to the fact that these goods were rare in Europe, they were very expensive. Leaders of other countries weren’t happy with all the money Europeans were earning because they too wanted to make a profit. This set the precedent for other countries to set sail in search of new trade routes in order to begin making money. Greed motivated Christopher Columbus to partner up with the Spanish in order to search for a more effective trade route to China and India. During this search Columbus discovered the Caribbean, and others along with him discovered the American continents later on. He thought he was in India, that’s why he called the native people on the island, “Indians”. Other countries, along with Spain were able to make profits off of the natural resources they found on the new lands. After discovering these new lands, expedition leaders took it further by trying to colonize the native people and take control of their natural resources like sugar and tobacco. This of course effected the development of the Caribbean Historical experience negatively. Although the Europeans and other countries were able to use the rich soil of the Caribbean and other resources more effectively in that they made a profit off of it; they destroyed the native people of the Caribbean. The Europeans brought war, confusion, and enslavement to a people; they stirred their lives
Open Document