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The European Encounter with the New World Natives

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The expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of Spain after centuries of war was complete and the nation turned its attention to exploration and conquest in other areas of the world. Queen Isabella I of Spain and her husband Ferdinand II agreed to finance Christopher Columbus in 1942 voyage that led the opening of the “New World.” Christopher Columbus was a navigator and explorer who made four voyages to the Americas with his first in 1942 which resulted in the “Discovery of the Americas.” Columbus set sail from Spain and made a landfall in one of the Bahamian islands in what we know now the Caribbean and dealt with the Taino People while establishing a settlement in the island of Hispaniola. (Textbook, 2.2.2, The Spanish in the Age of Discovery). On the other hand, Hernando Cortes was a Spanish conquistador who overthrew the Aztec empire in the city of Tenochtitlan in Mexico for the crown of Spain which lasted for two years from 1519 to 1521. (Textbook, 3.3.1 The Iberian Countries in the New World). During the Spanish colonization, the Native Americans were not technologically advanced compared to the Spaniards when it comes to battle weapons. The Native Americans used “bows, arrows, and spears while the Spaniards are highly equipped with welded steel swords, steel armors, learned military tactics, and horses” (Textbook, Chapter 3). Based upon my readings, the Aztecs and the Tainos were not warlike people. Christopher Columbus perceived the Taino people in the Caribbean islands saying, “As I saw that they were very friendly to us, and perceived that they could be much more easily converted to our holy faith by gentle means than by force” (Columbus, Journal, 6). Although the Aztecs were wealthy enough to spend a lump sum of money to highly equip their army more to than just a bow and arrow, they oversee that idea. The government of Moctezuma was busy developing their cities, beautifying their temples, worshipping idols, and t

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