| From the first time that Europeans tasted sugar and | | | | fundamental conflict between the Old and New world. |
| spices, they were hooked. The European diet, which | | | | Without such an insatiable lust for money and slaves, |
| consisted mostly of bland and tasteless foods, was in | | | | the conflict would not have been driven to the point |
| need of augmentation, and foreign spices provided it. | | | | that it was, nor carried on for such a great length of |
| However, the cost of these foreign goods was | | | | time. No motive would have such power as greed, it |
| immense, as they would have to be taken from | | | | seems, in pulling the money from the coffers of |
| India, China, and the surrounding regions by means of | | | | kings and queens to finance more expeditions, |
| a politically difficult route through Constantinople, or | | | | especially if they knew they could stand to gain |
| an arduous route around the cape of the African | | | | double of what they put out, or even more. Cargo's |
| continent. Either method proved costly and | | | | flooded back from the New world, and more and |
| somewhat dangerous, and the profits were slim for | | | | more conquistadors began to arrive on the shores of |
| the provider, as already high costs of operation could | | | | the Americas with the intent of gaining wealth and |
| not be passed onto the consumer, as the niche | | | | power for themselves, along with the ancillary goal of |
| market that purchased the goods might be alienated | | | | Chrisitanizing the "savage" cultures of the American |
| by an increase in price. As such, a new route was | | | | Indians. |
| badly needed by traders and the European economy. | | | | In terms of coexistence, such peace was impossible |
| Finding such a route would not only gain its | | | | with the motive of the Europeans being what it was. |
| discoverer great wealth and fame, but also the | | | | Had the motive be to learn from these new cultures, |
| nation that he represented, as such a nation could | | | | or to create treaties, coexistence would have been |
| have control over the route. The search was on. | | | | encouraged, as such a relationship would have also |
| The main goal of Columbus' voyage across the | | | | added to the power of the kings and queens of |
| Atlantic was to discover such a route. However, | | | | Europe. However, it was far easier to rip and tear |
| what he actually discovered could the deemed the | | | | and destroy these strange cultures. Clearly, its much |
| most successful error in history. Not only did | | | | easier to take the wealth of the nation with no |
| Columbus find a source of great wealth in the | | | | resistance, in the same way its much easier to take |
| species of slaves and foreign foods, but he also | | | | the valuables off a dead man than a live one. In |
| discovered a continent entirely unbeknownst to the | | | | addition, the strangeness of Aztec and Incan culture |
| Europeans at the time, a continent that would soon | | | | to the Europeans created a caustic atmosphere of |
| gain the moniker, "the New World," with it's own | | | | violent hatred and arrogant lordship over the |
| indigenous peoples, culture, and opportunity for | | | | American Indian, which would never truly be erased, |
| exploitation. | | | | persisting even in the early United States. This |
| While Columbus would have been content to | | | | attitude towards the alien culture and ease of |
| Christianize the New World, those who financed his | | | | exploitation made it impossible for the Europeans to |
| journey wanted something more tangible. Columbus, | | | | resist ripping off the indigenous people of the |
| realizing the peoples of this New World were naïve | | | | Americans and leaving behind only the burning |
| to the ways of the European, began to take | | | | remains of their once great cities. |
| advantage of the American Indians. Thousands were | | | | One could say that from the first time the European |
| enslaved and sent back to Europe. Token amounts | | | | culture tasted the spices and sugars of the Far East, |
| of gold were sent back, even though the area had | | | | the Americas were doomed. Such a lust for power |
| far richer silver deposits. Spices, sugar, and foreign | | | | and money led to the speedy expansion of European |
| foods were sent back as well. Quickly, those in | | | | culture to the Americas, and once the kings and |
| power in Europe realized that they could stand to | | | | queens of Europe saw that such wealth and power |
| gain much from the exploitation of the New World, | | | | was theirs for the taking, this lust could not be sated, |
| and rushed for the chance, Spain specifically. | | | | and nothing would stop the European from trampling |
| It was this realization, the greedy desire for more | | | | through the Americas. |
| power, money, and fame, that create the | | | | |