The process of European exploration and conquest of the Americas, or the New World, spans several centuries. It commenced when Portugal and Spain began establishing the colonies throughout the Americas in 1500s, eventually followed by England, France, and the Netherlands (Mark, 2020). One of the major factors that led to the development of European conquest was the necessity to establish new trade routes since the traditional intra-Eurasian ones were threatened by the rise of the Ottoman Empire (Mark, 2020). Additionally, improved technological ability enabled the settlers to travel more considerable distances than before (Mark, 2020). Europeans intended to retain their access to goods like silks and spices; therefore, in 1492, a Spanish expedition led by Christopher Columbus inadvertently arrived in the Bahamas while searching for a new route to the East (Mark, 2020). Thus, the era of European colonialism commenced, characterized by the search for material gain, souls’ conversion to Christianity, and personal ambitions.
However, problems began to appear as colonization and exploitation went on. While Portuguese and Spanish colonizers initially utilized indigenous populations as the plantations’ labor, their exploitation, combined with the spread of European diseases, has wiped most locals out (Mark, 2020). As a result, in 1600s, the colonizers experienced a shortage in the workforce, which they had to address. To do that, Portugal, followed by others, expanded its presence to the coasts of Africa, seeking more human resources for their American plantations (Mark, 2020). Thus, the process of colonization fueled a so-called “triangular trade”: Europeans utilized the Americas’ raw materials to manufacture goods in Europe, which were then traded for enslaved Africans, who, in turn, were shipped to the Americas (Mark, 2020). The last stage is also referred to as the transatlantic slave trade. Overall, the transatlantic slave trade became one of the landmark characteristics of European colonial processes.
References
Mark, J. J. (2020). European colonization of the Americas. In World History Encyclopedia.