Learning Objective 2

Learning Objective 2

As the world progressed many developments were made as Europe, Africa, and the Americas collided with each other. As Europe invaded Africa the trade of slaves begin which later leads to a spiral of moral and ethnic conflicts.As the first slave trade was across the Sahara Dessert many other slave trades where made more efficient through better means of transportation such as ships. Along with the slave trade there was a desire for foreing spices that was a cause of Marco Polo going to China, many of said spices where shipped through the only means possible during that era, marine ships. Though along with this new craze that was engulfing Europe at that time came new inventions such as the compass, the caravel, and the astrolabe. These inventons made naviagating the seas simpiler so that more spices may be transported from the spice islands to Europe. As many Europian countries scrambles to get in on the spice trade Spain had other ideas to get to the Spice Islands. The man that had this idea was none other than Christopher Colombus. As he was sailing toward the Spice Islands while his idea seemed simple enough his calculations to reaching them was completely wrong. He believed the Earth was only 1/3 of what it really was. After 30 days at see he reached land and assumed it was India but in reality it the Americas. After this event the Spice Trade was out of fashion and the Americas was what caught the fancy of many of Europe's elite. Such as Spain when they sent Cortez and their conquistadores to Mexico. The reason that Spain wanted anything to do with the Americas was because they wanted to expand their rule. Later on the Spanish gave into greed and lust for the gold that they had found led them to attack Montezuma on the noche triste. As Cortez fled from the battle the natives where not as lucky as they had thought to believe for disease such as small pox had infected them. Not use to these unknown diseases their people did not stand a chance for they had no remedy for any of the ailments that the Spanish brought in with them. No longer could the natives stand these illnesses and eventually died out.