a. Context and motives of Spanish exploration
In the 15th century, Europeans began to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of new routes to China and the East. On a quest for “God, glory, and gold,” the Portuguese and Spanish led the way in exploring new worlds; these explorations were to lay the foundations for the journeys of Cortes and Pizarro. What were the political and economic motives for exploration and conquest? What were the religious motives...