1. Could Christopher Columbus have sailed to the Americas without Ferdinand and Isabella’s support? Explain.
2.Based on the excerpt from Christopher Columbus’s log entry, what motivated Columbus during his journey?
3.Predict. What impact do you think these explorations will have on the people living in the Americas already? How might multiple European powers interact with one another in the Americas, Africa, and Asia?
4.What were the effects of the Treaty of Tordesillas?
5.How might the world be different today if the Pope had never created the line of demarcation?
1. No, Christopher Columbus would not have been able to sail to the Americas without Ferdinand and Isabella's support. He needed their financial backing and access to their resources to fund his expedition. Additionally, he needed their political support to gain permission to explore new territories and claim them for Spain.
2. Based on the excerpt from Columbus's log entry, it can be inferred that his motivation during his journey was primarily driven by the desire for wealth and glory. Columbus mentions the potential of finding gold and precious jewels, as well as his desire to discover new lands and convert their inhabitants to Christianity.
3. The explorations by Europeans in the Americas would have a significant impact on the indigenous people already living there. They would be subjected to colonization, forced labor, and often violence and exploitation. The arrival of multiple European powers in the Americas, Africa, and Asia would likely lead to competition and conflict between these powers as they vied for control of valuable resources and territories.
4. The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, divided the newly discovered territories between Spain and Portugal based on a line of demarcation drawn by the Pope. Spain was given control of most of the Americas, while Portugal was given rights to most of Africa and Asia. This treaty significantly shaped the colonial empires of both countries and had a lasting impact on their influence in these regions.
5. If the Pope had never created the line of demarcation, the world today would likely be very different. Without this division, there would likely have been more competition and conflict between European powers for control of the newly discovered territories. It is possible that different countries may have developed their own colonial empires, leading to different cultural, political, and economic dynamics in different regions of the world.