The Pros And Cons Of Exploration

Is there anything you ever wanted but never could have? Do you have any dreams, any desires? Truth is, everyone wants something more. The real question is, are you willing to find it? Well the early explorers were willing to do anything. Columbus, Hudson, Cartier, and all the other great explorers wanted glory, land, religious freedom, gold, trade, or even new technology; and they went to find it. Little did they know they'd discover more than what they wanted. They discovered new types of people, new land, new food, a new lifestyle. This is the lifestyle they were willing to take for themselves. Galileo, Machiavelli,and Michelangelo were artists who started a new outlook on life. This new idea of human's conquering the world inspired many.
The Portuguese sailors were seeking for a water route to the east and sailed southward towards the African coasts. In search for Prester John, a king who was rumored to have built a Christian stronghold in northwestern Africa. Henry the Navigator was in search for this king, for he had hoped Prester would help him fight the
Christopher Columbus had an idea for a voyage in search for trade routes to Asia. The only problem with his plan was that he had no money. He asked everyone with the money to fund his trip. However, everyone he encountered, declined. That was until he reached the presence of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. They had just defeated the Moors, so they had the money they could spend on other things. Because Columbus was sailing for Isabella, the leader of the Reconquista, he was spreading Christianity to the New World. Christopher Columbus sailed on with his three ships the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. He named an island San Salvador after sailing for 10 weeks straight. San Salvador was an island he spotted in the Bahamas. He had believed San Salvador was an island off the coast of Japan. After his misinterpretation, he decided to sail on. He reached what he thought was mainland China, which was actually Cuba. He sent two men on an expedition to find the emperor of China. Their mission failed. However, they did discovered a native Taíno village. There they were the first to observe the smoking of tobacco, a habit which they quickly picked up. Leaving Cuba, Columbus came across the Island of Hispaniola on December 5. The natives called it Haití, but Columbus renamed it La Española, a name which was later changed to Hispaniola when Latin texts were written about the discovery. On December