When Worlds Collide

Trade was one of the major factors that made people from Muslims move to distant locations in their search for the market of their products. The spice trade is the major factor that made Muslims move in search of the market of their products. Java and Sumatra were some of the earliest locations that Muslims established ports of trade. While trading, they converted the local residents of the areas to Islam. The Portuguese are also some of the first people to make inroads in distant locations. Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) sponsored voyages that explored the coast of Africa. The voyages helped in the discovery of various minerals such as gold, which the Portuguese plundered. Slave trade is one of the major disadvantages of the explorations of the foreigners on distant locations. The Portuguese traded in slaves from various parts of Africa. Vasco da Gama was one of the most influential Portuguese explorers. Vasco da Gama faced resistance from Muslims merchants who controlled the east coast of Africa. Later, the Portuguese sought to control the spice trade from the Muslims. The Spanish were the first people to conduct voyages that sought to conquer distant undiscovered lands. Christopher Columbus headed the voyages. The voyages led to the discovery and conquest of lands in America and India. The Spanish created several policies that helped in the governing of the new lands (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2012).

During the 16th century, the Dutch, French, and English began to make inroads into the lands under the control the Spanish. By the second half of the 17th century rivalry and warfare between the French and the English led to the decline of the Dutch commercial empire in America. Africa is the major location that the Europeans made inroads in their quest to conquer new lands. The Europeans started trading in slaves from Africa to help in the development of lands in parts of their empire. The Europeans traded in able bodied Africans who could cultivate land and perform other manual labor in various parts of their empire. European conquest into Africa also brought Christianity to Africa (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2012).

Diseases had a significant impact on the conquest of Europeans in distant locations. The Spaniards were some of the first Europeans to conquer America. The locals were frightened of the horses and firearms of their conquerors. However, the most dangerous enemies that the Europeans brought to the local inhabitants of America were diseases. The diseases led to the death of a significant number of local inhabitants. After several generations, the local inhabitants of America started developing partial immunity to the diseases. This reduced their death due to the diseases. The Europeans were also victims of diseases in the areas they intended to conquer. The locals had developed immunity to the diseases, which prevented them from dying due to the diseases. After the arrival of Christopher Columbus into West Africa, a significant number of Europeans died due to malaria (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2012).

The Europeans thought it was their obligation to introduce civilized ways of life into the African, American, and Asian lands they conquered. They thought that bringing of life into the regions benefited the local inhabitants of the Areas. However, certain Europeans opposed this view. James Cook is one of the British Explorers who opposed this view. During his last visit to the island of Tahiti he expressed doubts bringing the Europeans way of life into the regions had lasting benefits to the local inhabitants (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2012).

In the western worlds, the discovery of the Americas is viewed positively. It helped in the expansion of the global trade network. It enabled the Europeans discover vast natural resources, which were previously unexplored. Gold was one of the major natural resources that the Spaniards discovered in the Americas. However, conquest of the Europeans had a negative impact on the local inhabitants of the Americas. The Europeans termed the local inhabitants as savages, as their way of life was significantly different from theirs. Therefore, they used all means to make the local inhabitants adopt their way of life. However, they faced stiff resistance from the local inhabitants. This led to the wars between the Europeans and the local inhabitants. The superior firepower of the sophisticated weapons of the Europeans made them defeat the local inhabitants easily. The adoption of the cultures of the Europeans led to the dilution of the cultures of the local inhabitants of the regions (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2012).

Historically, Africa is one of the regions that had borne the brunt European conquest. Slave trade was predominant in Africa. The different skin color of the Africans made the Europeans consider them as inferior. During the early stages of European conquest of Africa, slave trade was the major activity that the Europeans used to their benefit. They traded only in ale bodied Africans who could perform manual labor in various parts of their empire. While travelling to the various parts of their empire, they threw out Africans who could not perform manual labor since they were maimed or sick due to the long journey to the coast where the Europeans had docked their ships. In addition, the slaves were at the mercy of their masters. In most instances, they were treated badly (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2012).

The European conquest of various parts of the globe has played a critical role in modern civilization. However, European conquest was accompanied by various ills. Diseases, slavery, and torture, and forceful capture of the lands of the locals are some of the ills of the European conquest.

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