Essay: Europe and the World

Europe and the World

Ryan Espinoza

HST 101: Essay #1

Before 1500 Europe had little contact with the rest of the world.  The occasional trading of goods would occur but constant communication was not established.  This all changed as the years went on and up to the 1800s.  Technology and the need for more increased in Europe and thus exploration came into the minds of Europeans.  Christopher Columbus, Denis Diderot, and Bartolome De Las Casas all account for European exploration to the many parts of the earth.

 The sources demonstrate increasing contact between Europe and the rest of the world through Europe’s colonialism, world trade, and sharing of moral ideas.

Contact with the new races and nations came as a result of Europe’s colonialism.  “I found very many islands with large populations and took possession of them all for their Highnesses.” (para. 1 - Columbus)  Columbus describes his first encounters with the new lands we refer to now as America.  He describes how these possessions are his for the taking in the name of the kingdom of Spain which was a common thought throughout Europe in the age of colonialism.  “The hospitality of the people was repaid by terror.”  (pg. 103 – De Las Casas)  De Las Casas tells of accounts of European, Spanish in particular, colonies and their widespread kingdoms to the west.  Colonialism not only created how the world and its diverse spread of people are located and live now but it was branded as cruel for its savage treatment of the new peoples that they encountered worldwide.  “This land belongs to the people of Tahiti.” (para. 2 – Diderot)  Diderot’s quote tells a lot about European colonialism.  Europe’s (in this case France’s) reach was actually worldwide as it came in contact with the islands of the Pacific Ocean.  Secondly, it also tells of how Europe’s forceful intrusions of some of the world’s inhabitants were not wanted.  European colonialism, although sometimes cruel to the highest extent, proves Europe’s far-reaching contact with the world as a whole.

European trade reached that ends of the earth as well not only importing but exporting goods to the rest of the world.  “Then the Spaniards hoisted sail and voyaged to the island of San Juan, where all the captives were sold as slaved.” (pg. 97 – De Las Casas)  Human slaves were seen as a commodity in most of Europe, the Middle-East and Asia.  Europeans would take the peoples of their newly colonized lands in the Americas and Africa and sell them as slaves.  “. . . There are many spices and large mines of gold and other metals.” (para. 3 – Columbus)  Columbus speaks in his account of the other reasons Europeans traveled the world.  Europeans traveled far into Asia in hopes of trading for spices and many other parts of the world for precious metals to take home.  “ . . . there are many great rivers with broad channels and the majority contain gold.” (para. 3 – Columbus)  Columbus furthers emphasizes the yearning for gold in his accounts which was a part of the ‘God, Gold, and Glory’ that set the theme for European world colonization which led to world trade.  Europe’s need for wealth and luxury was a great cause for its need to contact with the rest of the world.

The world began learning of European religion and knowledge and began using them (sometimes unwillingly) as their own.  “We have no wish to exchange what you call our ignorance for your useless knowledge.” (para. 2 – Diderot)  Europe felt it necessary to engage the world in their way of thinking.  Much of the world during colonization was forced to learn what they know and valued.  The European morality spread across the world.  “ . . . but you have brought us . . . [venereal disease].  You have infected our blood.” (para. 3 – Diderot)  One thing that was evidence of European contact with the rest of the world was something unknown to some natives of the world; disease.  Diderot explains how the people of Tahiti did not know about such diseases before Europeans came.  The entire account of De Las Casas’ The Devastation of the Indies shows the cruelty that Europeans have dealt the independent peoples of the world.  Consequently this caused much negativity between areas of the world and the Europe.  Even today, the European method of contacting with the world is put in a negative light which was the same feeling felt by those peoples her were at the head of European intrusions.  Europe’s influence is definitely felt worldwide.

The accounts of the three men give information of Europe’s far reach of the world.  Although, mostly put into a negative light, the contact gave way for the spread and development of new ideas and governments.  It led to alliances and connected the world in a way the world has never been before.  It may have had a rather rocky start but ironed out the hardships throughout the centuries.  Europe’s worldwide venturing due to land, gold, and knowledge to the great communication we know today. 

      

Sources Cited

McKay, J. (2009).  A History of World Societies. (8^th ed.), Columbus Describes His First Voyage (pp. 458-459). Boston, MA.

McKay, J. (2009).  A History of World Societies. (8^th ed.), Diderot Condemns European Colonialism (pp. 514-515). Boston, MA.

De Las Casas, B. (1992) The Devastation of the Indies: A Brief Account. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press.