Age Of Discovery Causes

My Essay is a discussion of the causes for the Age of Discovery, and the early colonization of the Americas, the Age of Discovery occurred in Europe, in the mid 15th to 16th centuries, and describes the time period in which Europe; predominantly Spain; set out to discover a new safe passage to the Indies, and Asia. The impetus for the discovery was the continued unrest in the Middle East after the Crusaders had returned to Europe. I will discuss how these events influenced the discovery of the Americas, and led to the first European colonies in North America; also the similarities and differences between the early colonies, with a focus on Jamestown, Plymouth Colony, and Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The establishment of colonial America emanated
Christopher Columbus was finally called upon by Queen Isabella to consummate his dream, and on August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail, leaving from Palos, Spain, with three ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina. Columbus set out from Spain in search of Japan. On October 12, landfall was made on the Bahama island of Guanahaní. “ Falling to his knees, for he was as pious as any Aztec priest, Columbus proclaimed San Salvador the possession of the woman who had financed his voyage, Queen Isabella of Castille.” (Conlin 8) Columbus believed that San Salvador, Cuba, and Santo Domingo, were islands off of the Indies. “Thus did Columbus bestow upon the Arawak and other Native Americans the name that has stuck to their descendents to this day-- Indians.” (Conlin 9) . Columbus believed he had found a new route to the indies, despite Spain and other countries concluding that in fact Columbus had found a new continent or “New World”. “To the day he died in 1506, Columbus insisted he had reached some of the 7,448 islands that Marco Polo said ringed Asia. Sustained for half a lifetime by a vision, he could not admit what most knowing Spaniards understood
England, eager to join Spain in importing riches from the Americas, now took to the task of colonizing the “New World”. These new colonies were funded in three different ways; corporate colonies, established by joint-stock companies, or a group of investors, there by relieving the state of the cumbersome, and expensive task of starting a new colony; Proprietary colonies were owned by a person or family who made laws and appointed officials as he or they pleased; and royal colonies, under the direct control of the King, who appointed a Royal Governor. Because of the lowered risks involved, European monarchies preferred to issue charter to joint-stock companies. The goals of the joint-stock companies were based in the European economic principal of Mercantilism, trade from the new colonies focused on how to best sustain, and provide profit for not only investors, but the state as well. From this time on joint-stock companies would be used to establish colonies in the “New World”. Mercantilism also helped to develop the triangle trade of the North Atlantic, in which raw goods produced in the colonies, were imported back to the state, processed and redistributed to the other colonies, Europe sent textiles; and manufactured goods to Africa, where they were traded for Slaves, the slaves were then brought to the Americas, where they where traded for sugar; tobacco; and cotton; these goods were