Mercantilism And Columbian Exchange

In the 18th century the policy of mercantilism, where a country's wealth determined it’s power, the desire for economic gain lead to colonization in many European countries. As The Columbian Exchange grew and countries like France and England increased their search and distribution of new foods and materials from the New World. They also began to create new trade routes along the Atlantic Ocean to and from the New World. As the material and goods they were exporting to and from the New World grew in high demands, they could not possibly keep up with the amount of work that was needed to accomplish this goal. In a desperate attempt they turned to African and Native American slaves to do all the rigorous and often dangerous work. The greedy actions …show more content…
In the early 15th and 16th centuries, economic gain wasn't as big of a global phenomenon as it was later on in the upcoming centuries. This was due to European countries trying to deal with personal problems within their lands such as religious reformation, humanism and enlightenment. Another factor was that at the time, people were still trying to break free of the strict and opposing rules and laws of their governments to be bothered with going out and exploring the world. The thirst for economic gain began for various reasons for each European country. However two of the factor that united them in their exploration was mercantilism and Columbian Exchange. When a spanish explorer, by the name of Christopher Columbus, voyaged on behalf of Spanish King and Queen, to find a western sea route to China, India and gold and spice on Asian islands. What he found instead was the New World, also known as the Americas. This important historical event, marked the beginning of the Columbian Exchange. After Columbus discovery of the New World, he brought all the new food, spices, gold and other valuable materials he found there back to Spain to sell and make their country weather. Once other countries in …show more content…
one of the first groups to lose their individual rights due to economic gain were the Native Americans. When European explorers first encountered Native americans they believed them to be ignorant and weak, therefore not worthy to have individual rights. In a first hand account Christopher Columbus wrote “ They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane.....they would make fine servants... with fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.” With this knowledge many explores took advantage of the Native Americans in their pursuit for economic gain. The Native Americans did not fight back or put up much resistance out of fear of being brutally tortured or punished. Native Arawak from haiti were forced by Columbus's men to collect a certain amount of gold each month. The punishment if they didn't collect enough gold was getting their hands chopped off and bleeding to death. Other Native Americans were forced to to go back to Europe, where they were sold as slaves and forced into hard and dangerous labor. Many of the Natives did not make it on the trip to Europe due to being exposed to unknown diseases that they couldn't fight off as well as malnutrition. Others died because of the hard labor they were forced to endure from their European master. As European technological advances increased, Europeans