Title: The Turning Point: European Conquests of the Americas (1492-1800)
Headings: The Turning Point: European Conquests of the Americas (1492-1800)
The Turning Point: European Conquests of the Americas (1492-1800)
Content: They go a long way in explaining the gradual ascent of a wealthy, powerful, and imperial Europe. These events led to the emergence of the first-ever completely global market, one that fierce international rivals sought to dominate. Europe eventually found itself at the center of the global economic network, commanding large empires. In the next section, we’ll look at Europe’s discovery of a route to the “New World” in the Americas and explore why it is so important in understanding modern imperialism. The most important motive for early European exploration across the Atlantic was the dream of enormous riches. Initially, explorers and merchants hoped to find a sea route across the Atlantic to the thriving markets of Asia. But Columbus and his fellow Europeans greatly miscalculated the circumference of the earth. Instead, they found a whole new world to explore and exploit: North and South America. The risks were high when Spaniards and Portuguese first sailed across uncharted oceans.