The Discovery of America: Valuable Lesson on History
The discovery of America is one of the initiation of the exploration and mutual communication of other by different parts of the world. It is pertinent to depict that this story includes more than one man and more than one voyage; it is a history of humanity intricately interwoven with threads of voyagers, locals, and events. Reader, it is now time for a short historical discovery of America and its discoverers and the effect of this discovery.
The Pre-Columbian Era
However, Columbus and his crew did not discover the Americas because the continent was already occupied by great cultures before 1492. Indeed, indigenous people had been occupying the territories of the continent for millennia, creating their valuable source of cultural, linguistic, and social experience. These early settlers were the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca civilizations in Central and South America and the Iroquois, Sioux or Cherokee tribes in North America.
Viking Exploration
The Vikings were relatively the first Europeans to set their foot on North America contrary to what is considered today as Columbus discovery. It was in the year approximately 1000 AD when another famous Norse leader by the name of Leif Erikson sailed to what is modern-day Newfoundland in Canada. A settlement called Vinland was made, however, it similarly to Icelandic colonies did not result in the permanent settlement of Europeans.
Columbus and His Voyages
Christopher Columbus is most recognized as the discoverer of America for which he is popularly known, he was an Italian explorer supported by the Spanish monarchy. in 1492 Columbus embarked for America with three vessels, the Niña, Pinta, and the flagship Sainta Maria in search of a new route to Asia. Rather he found himself in Bahamas, thinking that he is in the East Indies. Columbus/Christopher travelled to the New World on four occasions mapping several areas in Caribbean, Central and South America.
Subsequent Explorations
After Columbus sailed across the sea, Europeans started exploring and colonizing the American continent. They charted the new territories, engage with the native populations and in the process looked for gold and spices.
1. Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci an Italian explorer, contributed to establishing that the land discovered by Columbus belong to the new world. The early fifteenth century journey’s of Amerigo Vespucci along the South American coast yielded facts of the geography and make up of the continent. Consequently, his first name ‘America’ was attributed to the name of the whole country.
2. Hernán Cortés
From 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés began to explore Mexico and brought force into contact with the mighty empire of the Aztecs. By using military force as well as gaining the support of local groups and embarking on dissemination of diseases, Cortés managed to displace and capture the Aztec Empire by 1521 and consequently Spanish colonialization in Mexico.
3. Francisco Pizarro
Having seen the success of Cortes, Francisco Pizarro ventured to conquer the South American Inca Empire. The Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and his brothers captured the Incan emperor Atahualpa in 1532 and within years took control of the mighty Incan empire and pegged the Spanish sovereignty in Peru.
The Columbian Exchange
The discovery of Americas provided the first major merging of the Old World which entails Europe Asia and Africa with the New World of Americas. The exchange process that started with Christopher Columbus’ voyage was referred to as the Columbian Exchange in which plants and crops, animals as well as diseases and technologies were exchanged.
1. Crops and Agriculture
The Americas had diet and agriculture revolution by introducing crops like maize (corn), potatoes, tomatoes, and cacao to Europe. In return, Europeans introduced to new world, wheat, rice, sugarcane and domestic animals such as horses, cows and pigs among others.
2. Disease and Population Impact
The Columbian Exchange’s effects on societies, one of the devastating effects that came with the exchange was picking up of diseases by the New World people from the Old World. In this case, indigenous populations, which had no resistance to Old World diseases like smallpox, measles and influenza, met great catastrophes. Researchers believe millions of Native Americans succumbed to the diseases and consequently, there was a social revolution that displaced Native Americans from their respective regions.
Impact on Indigenous Peoples
Thus Europeans’ arrival had a dramatic impact on the native population in America that was not always positive. Fortifying earlier ideas, the expansion of new technologies like guns and steel equipment shifted the dynamics in relation to tribes. Hence, European colonization resulted in the extermination of native population, subjugation, and obliteration of their culture, and the creation of the European hegemony over the New World population.
1. Cultural Exchange and Adaptation
However, colonization almost annihilated aboriginal population, however, they persisted and caused changes in the new colonial societies. In this section, the population favourable to Europeans supplied them with the local knowledge on farming, healing, and climates that enabled them to thrive.
2. Resistance and Resilience
Some of the indigenous societies used aggressive measures, diplatories, and cultural means to fight colonialism from the Europeans. The result of such struggles can easily be seen by the strong native American culture that exists as of today.
The Legacy of Discovery
Opening the American continent laid the foundation for the contemporary world, including its increased interaction and interconnection of various peoples and the search for new opportunities in every field. It signified the dawn of the age of globalization characterized by the crossing of geographical barriers by products, information and people.
1. Economic Transformation
European economic structure changed due to the flow of wealth from the Americas especially in the shape of gold and silver. It contributed towards the industrial revolution, increase in commercialization of goods and services, and formation of colonies by the European countries.
2. Cultural Impact
The interaction between indigenous and first African arrivals followed by European and finally Asian peoples resulted into a diverse culture in the America. It may be said that this cultural exchange has influenced the development of the nations’ identities and histories of the Western Hemisphere.
Conclusion
The New World’s discovery can be viewed as a concept of overcoming, discovery, and meeting. Thus, uniting different people and cultures and initiating significant processes that have lasting significance even today. Despite the considerable aggression-turned-discovery experiences rooted in bloodshed and sorrow, this stage also paved the way for development and the construction of a new world – a world of international community. While contemplating these events, people should remember the ideas and struggles of building the future of the Americas by those who were involved in the process.
