The Exploration Of Uncharted Lands - 1066 Words

Michael A. Brooks ENGH 340 Paper #1 February 13, 2015 The exploration of uncharted lands is how the modern world today came to be known. The United States even has a national holiday named after one of the world’s most famous navigators and colonists, Christopher Columbus. Columbus is heralded for his achievements in exploration as his explorations have paved the way for the colonization and development of previously unknown lands outside of Europe. On the one hand, finding new lands can be a wondrous event because it makes the world larger, opens up the door for new resources to be used, and bridges the geographical gap between mankind. On the other hand, it can be quite the daunting experience for the native inhabitants already present†¦show more content†¦Another important factor that gave European explorers and settlers a tremendous advantage over natives from the Americas were domestic animals. Domestic animals provided European with superior technology, better than the natives could have imaged. F or example, Europeans could utilize their domestic animals for plowing, farming, and milking which gave them the food excesses necessary to support large sedentary populations which could develop increasingly advanced technology both to outwit their neighbors and increase their own wealth in war and trade. No other well-known explorer has more infamously acted out this above mentioned traits and sensibilities than Christopher Columbus. In Christopher Columbus’ â€Å"Letter of Columbus to Various Persons Describing the Results of His First Voyage and Written on the Return Journey† the tone is very condescending and arrogant. This is because upon reaching the various islands Columbus discovered, the native’s reaction to he and his men are in awe and astonishment. Because of their look, clothing, and technology, the natives â€Å"believed [Columbus] and his men came from heaven† which ultimately gave Columbus a God-like complex. This is extremely different from other first encounters between Europeans and natives in the Americas because it was so personal for Columbus, opposed to it being a coup for the