Evaluate the actions of the Spanish, French, English, and Dutch Essay

Evaluate the actions of the Spanish, French, English, and Dutch explorers and colonizers. Be sure to consider their impact on the native peoples, the environme - Essay Example New trade routes were a necessity in competing with other European countries. Trade of European goods for spices and other goods not available in Europe were in high demand. An explorer who opened up or discovered a new trade route was handsomely compensated by their government. Wilkenson (2002, p. 20) explains â€Å"more and more explorers tried to open up trade routes.† Faster trade routes to countries with raw materials were valuable. The faster a ship could reach a country with valuable resources, the sooner they could beat other countries wanting the same materials. Riches also drove the explorers. They were searching for gold, silver, spices, and other natural resources. Abernethy (2002, p. 211) explains how these explorations were â€Å"leading Spain and Portugal to vie in the early sixteenth century for spice-rich islands off Asia’s southeast coast†. Tales of streets of gold and diamonds lying on the ground made it back to Europe. Although the Europeans did not believe such tales, the explorations were popular. Abernethy (2002, p. 191) reports â€Å"led Europeans to ask more insistently whether statements about the world were supported by the evidence. Maritime exploration having paid rich and unexpected dividends.† The expense was being returned ten fold on ships funded for exploration. Spices, gold, diamonds, and other natural resources were being sold at a fraction of the cost to obtain them. These explorers were treasure hunting for their governments, with the dividends paying off richly. The problem with the Europeans finding riches was where the riches were located. The natural resources were located in North and South America, Africa, and other lands not yet explored by Europeans. The natives they met were exotic. However, the Europeans easily conquered these new cultures in order to take their natural resources. Suddenly, the natives were second class citizens in their own