Age Of Exploration Dbq

In the 15 to 17 century’s during the Age of Exploration, Europeans would explore unknown region of the world. Explorers had different reasons of discovering these places from wanting to go there their whole life to doing it for trade with goods or to make money. One thing all of these explorers have in common is conquering the land they find for themselves or their country. Others may argue they are just explorers and do it for the fun. Some argue they were just merchants trading slaves and goods with other countries around them and some say they are missionary’s trying to convert the native people to their religion.
Many explorers during these ages explored for their country or for their curiosity of their surroundings. Spanish explorers such as Hernando de Soto explored regions as such as the west indies. He had wanted to explore them throughout his whole. He was invited on a ship that was exploring them at about the age of 14. Along with the West Indies he explored North America. There were two reasons he traveled to North America. The first was for riches such as gold which was believed to be there. His big goal was to conquer Florida for the Spanish Crown and for his country of Spain. He was also the first European to discover the Mississippi River. While exploring they also heard rumors

All three of these are part of being a conqueror in some way. When the Europeans would conquer new land they would try to change the religion to Christianity just like when missionaries would go to promote a religion and when they conquered it would help them trade more because of new resources in their new claimed land and closer countries to trade with. In the age of exploration, for the Europeans it was all about claiming as much land as possible for themselves and their countries before other countries discovered these places which is why Europeans are