Unit One Summary Question 4. Cause and Effect

Spain needed to expand its treasury through trade like Portugal was doing, but was failing thanks to Portuguese control of the route around Africa and Muslim control of the Mediterranean and were therefore obliged to finance a young sailor Christopher Columbus. The Spanish being financially weakened by their conquering Granada, they required some incoming revenue that would be pretty stable in coming years. So, they needed new lands with fresh resources to boost them up, and Columbus would be able to provide the know-how and route. They needed Columbus’s route because Africa was closed to them, as was the Mediterranean because the Portuguese and Muslims were in control and they were too weak for war. Consequently, they needed Columbus to reach Asia and start bringing in the loot. Also, new islands would lead to a bevy of new converts preventing those “heathen” Muslims from getting their hands on these tribal peoples or could be used a slaves to further help out the Empire. Furthermore, new islands could equal fresh new resources which would give Spain a considerable edge over this new resource (i.e. new minerals, metals, fruits) and therefore Europe. Therefore, the Spanish needed Columbus so as to gain a considerable economic and religious advantage over the other nations of Europe.