Age of Exploration Essay on Spain

Spain had the most success with exploration

because they were the first to travel west, find
new land, and control they land they found. They
gave Christopher Columbus money to travel to
find a new route to India and China because
Portugal had control over the coast of Africa and
India. Ferdinand Magellan sailed under the name
of Spain and he had some amazing discoveries.
Including a strait that could take you from
Spain to The Spice Islands. Spain destroyed the
Aztecs and took control over the land now called
Mexico.

Christopher Columbus discovered the New

World in 1492 being sponsored by King Ferdinand
of Spain. He went to a lot of places looking for
someone to sponsor him on an expedition to go
reach Asia by going West. He was rejected by the
Portuguese King, Genoa, and Venice. He was
initially rejected by Spain, but after they
captured the last Muslim stronghold they agreed,
because their war was over. He sailed West and
landed in where the Bahamas are today. He also
ran into the now Dominican Republic and Haiti.
He also bumped into the islands of nowadays Cuba
and claimed them for Spain. He built a
settlement called Villa de la Navidad
(Christmas Town)with the leftover wood from
the ship Santa Maria when it got destroyed. He
returned to Spain and told the monarch all about
it. They funded him again and when he returned
to what he thought was Asia he found his town
destroyed and all the 39 men dead. He didnt
like this. He then went searching for gold with
the natives with not much luck, and rebuilt the
town. He went back 3 more times and promised to
bring back wealth for the king. He believed
until his death in May of 1505 that he had
discovered a shorter route to Asia.

In 1517 Ferdinand Magellan offered his

skills to the Spanish after being falsely
accused for illegally trading with the Moors. He
believed that the world was round and that he
could find a shorter route to the Spice Islands.
The Spice Islands were the Islands of Asia that
mainly traded spices. September 20th 1519 he set
out with a fleet of 5 ships. An attempted mutiny
took place and one of the ships was wrecked.
October 1520 they entered what is now called the
Strait of Magellan. While they were in the
strait one ship turned back leaving them with 3
ships. March 1521 the crew landed in Homonhon
Island. Magellan traded with the king and a bond
quickly formed. Magellan fell in battle with the
Humabon people on April 27th 1521. Only one of
the 5 ships made it back to Spain. Spain was the
first to circumnavigate the globe.

The Aztecs were a Mexican tribe that was

conquered by Spain. The Aztecs are known by many
as the Tenochca. They settled in Tenochtitln
which had more than 140,000 people. The Aztecs
conquered about 5-6 million people. Markets like
Tenochtitlan Tlatelolco drove the Aztec Economy.
Spanish first came in contact with them in early
1517. They started to battle in November 1519
and the Aztecs lost the battle. In 1521 the
battles ended and a total of about 240,000
people had died. Thus ending the Aztec
civilization. The Spanish built Mexico City on
the ruins of the main Aztec city called
Tenochtitlan.

Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain and

started the idea of traveling West to get to
India and China. Ferdinand Magellan sailed for
Spain after being falsely accused of illegally
trading with the Moors and discovered a route to
India and China through a strait. The Aztecs
controlled Mexico before the Spanish got there.
The Spanish got control of Mexico by killing
non-native people. Spain had the most success in
Exploration because the were the first to travel
West, find new land, and gain control of the
land they found.
 Sources

http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs
https://www.biography.com/people/ferdinand-
magellan-9395202
https://www.biography.com/people/christopher
-columbus-9254209
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