Europe had a goal of finding a way to Asia to benefit from their trading. Thus, they sponsored many different explorers, starting with Christopher Columbus. He began his voyage in 1492, and he was convinced that he found Asia. In reality, he actually found the New World. After the discovery, Europe began sending more explorers to the New World, which caused encounters with the indigenous peoples. Documents 1 and 3 talk about the motives Europeans had to go to the Americas, while Documents 2, 4, and 5 discuss the consequences of the Europeans encounters with the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Along with the causes and effects of finding the New World, Documents 3 and 5 discuss change that occurred over time.
Documents 1 and 3 both discuss the motives Europeans had to go to the Americas. According to the letter of Amerigo Vespucci (Document 1), The wealth that we enjoy in this our Europe and elsewhere, such as gold, jewels, pearls and other riches, they hold as nothing. They are liberal in giving, for it is rarely they deny you anything
Going to the Americas was an advantage to the Europeans because the indigenous peoples would give them goods. The Europeans would take these goods and sell it to other places, which would give them profits. Along with profits, the Europeans had another advantage. According to the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes in Mexico (Document 3), Captain Hernando Cortes
decided
to depart; and so hoisting sail they left that Island of Cozumel
very peaceably inclined, so much so that if it were proposed to found a colony there the natives would be ready without coercion to serve their Spanish masters. As long as the Europeans maintained a good relationship with the indigenous people, they would work for the Europeans without having to be coerced. In conclusion, the Europeans gained profits and a free labor source by going to the Americas that made them continuously go to the Americas.
Documents 2,4, and 5 discuss the consequences of the Europeans encounters with the indigenous peoples of the Americas. In addition to the documents talking about the consequences, they talk about the point of view from the Europeans and the point of view from the Aztecs. According to Dr. Diego Alverez Chanca, participant in Columbuss second voyage (Document 2), the indigenous peoples were bestial because of the way they took other people and ate them. Although he believed that the indigenous peoples were bestial for doing so, it could have been a tradition to them. According to French explorer Samuel de Champlain (Document 4) who gives a Europeans point of view, the Native Americans were not able to be trusted because they were all almost fully naked. They were considered as thieves because of their appearance, so the Europeans became more careful when they exchanged with them. The Aztec reactions to the European encounter (Document 5), which gives an Aztec point of view, mentions how the Aztecs reacted when they first saw the Europeans. The Aztecs were worried about the Europeans by what they could do. While the Spaniards were in Tlaxcala, a great plague broke out in Tenochtitlan. It began to spread
striking everywhere in the city and killing a vast number of our people. The Europeans brought diseases to the indigenous peoples, causing a decrease in population. In conclusion, the encounters of the Europeans and the indigenous peoples changed their thought in each other and caused a decrease in population.
Documents 3 and 5 discuss change over time. When Hernando Cortes wrote to the Spanish government in 1520 (Document 3), he said, The Captain accordingly informed them to the best of his ability in the Catholic Faith
and gave them to understand very fully what they must do to be good Christians, all of which they manifestly received with very good will, and so we left them very happy and contented
This shows that the indigenous peoples were happy during the Europeans arrival. However, in the Aztec reactions to the European encounter in the 16th century (Document 5), When Motecuhzoma heard this report, he was filled with terror. It was as if his heart had fainted, as if it had shriveled. It was as if he were conquered by despair. This shows that the Aztecs were afraid of the Europeans. Before, the indigenous peoples were happy and did not mind the Europeans. About a century later, they were terrified of the Europeans. These two documents contrast each other and show a change over time.
To sum it all up, the Europeans were motivated to go to the Americas, which began the interactions between the Europeans and the indigenous people that led to unwanted consequences. Although the five documents that were given were enough to figure out the causes and effects of the Europeans going to the Americas, additional documents could have been added to help answer the questions. One additional document could be from an indigenous womans point of view on how she felt about the Europeans coming to the Americas.</p>
please help me? :(</p>
you shouldnt state your additional documents that way.</p>