How and Why Did Europe Expand into the Rest of the World from the 15th Century to the 19th Century, and What Were the Consequences of European Expansion for Civilizations in the Americas

The Europeans had many reason to explore the world overseas but non-more important than added luxuries and religion. “The European market was eager for luxury goods from the East and for Spices in particular. The spices not only added flavor to the monotonous European diet, but they also served as perfumes, medicines, and dyes. Apart from a desire for trade goods, religious fervor was another important catalyst for expansion” (McKay, 2009, P. 434). Some of the major consequences of the exploration were the introduction of new disease to different lands. With this introduction, some civilizations were either destroyed or nearly destroyed and some were changed forever. Regional civilization responded in different ways some accepted the newcomers with speculation because of their own religious beliefs such as Montezuma and the Aztecs and some meets them with resistance and violence such as the Incans.

The European influence had many great impacts on Africa, the Americas, and Asia and the first one that we will be discussing today will be Africa. The “modern European intrusion into Africa beginning in the fifteenth century led to the transatlantic slave trade, one of the greatest forced migrations in world history” (McKay, 2009, P. 517). This slave trade was monumental in not just European or African history but world history. It can be said that the trade in slaves had a detrimental effect on long-term economic growth and development. It ultimately undermined local economies and political stability as villages' vital labor forces were shipped overseas as slave raids and civil wars became commonplace. “With the rise of a large commercial slave trade, driven by European needs, enslaving your enemy became less a consequence of war, and more and more a reason to go to war” (African Holocaust, 2001).

The European influence on Asia was predominantly through imperialism. Imperialism is defined “as the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies” (Dictionary, 2011). The European Imperialism started with roots in the late 15th century because of voyages that sought a sea passage to India in the hope of establishing direct trade between Europe and Asia for spices and other articles. Before then European economies were largely self-sufficient, they only had limited trade between Africa and Asia. With in the following centuries, European and Asian economies were slowly becoming more close knit because the newly formed trade routes and emerging European political power, and string cultural influence in Asia.

The European colonization of the Americas started in 1492 with the Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus. It was during this exploration that he introduced the Western Worlds to the New Worlds of which would become known as the Americans. The colonization