1. The video clarifies that European attitudes towards the “New World” had elements of romanticism and a belief in riches. This was based largely on the belief that a new, unknown part of Asia had been discovered. Because the luxury goods and commodities came from Asia, it was logical to...

Christopher Columbus, in his Journal of the First Voyage published in 1492, describes the first contact with the indigenous people of the New World. Despite describing a friendly people interested in trade and the Catholic religion, Columbus proposed bringing several back to Spain to learn Spanish language and culture. The...

There are at least two answers to the question of how the mode of colonization in Texas may have affected its present-day fortunes. The first is that, as a general rule, the Spanish mode of colonization seems to have been more damaging than the British mode. The second is that...

If Zerubavel were asked the question: “Did Christopher Columbus discover America?” he would say that he did not discover it. Zerubavel defends his argument that Columbus does not deserve the credit for discovering America in “Terra Cognita: The Mental Discovery of America” based on how we define discovery. There are...

The history of territorial and cultural conquests can provide valuable insight into a region and help us to understand the political and economic climate of the world today. An example of this effect can be seen in how native Brazilian life was changed, not always for the better, when Portugal...