The Pros And Cons Of Spanish Exploration Of The Americas
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Spanish exploration of the Americas centered around the chance of creating an economic utopia with precious metals. Not only did they see the opportunity in the presence of metals, but they also saw it in the presence of slave labor from the natives. They used the natives for mining, farming, and hunting. The Spanish royals saw an economic utopia in having slave labor to gain metals, hides, and food goods to gain wealth for their project of creating their version of a utopia in their homeland. (Francis, 2005)
The Europeans also saw the promise of an economic utopia in the presence of new products that only existed in the Americas. The promise seen in sugar, tobacco, cotton, and cocoa spiked exploration to gain more resources to trade for wealth. (Francis, 2005) If the country could find a new product that only they had discovered, then they could have a monopoly and gain huge amounts of wealth to fund their desire to become a more utopian society.…show more content… They did this to establish trading posts. England established the West India Company to explore and pursue the profits seen in the fur and cloth trade. (Leiby, 2011) The French followed, doing the same in Canada. (Sletcher, 2005) There they focused on trading with inland tribes for furs and fished off the coasts. (White, 2011) Spain colonized the Caribbean and the southern Americas. (Sletcher, 2005) These countries did this seeking profits and wealth. This wealth could be then used to gain power and dominance, leading each country to be getting closer to their version of a utopia. Exploration of this land would continue to gain new trading posts and colonies to increase profits. The idea of establishing an economic utopia had a stranglehold on the exploration of the Americas. This heavy hold of utopia led to a further idea of an economic utopia,