The European Age of Exploration

The European Age of Exploration was a time in which Europeans explored the world. Europeans explored the world using the sea. Some explorers explored to gain wealth, knowledge, and land, to find new trade routes, to expand their empires, or to spread Christianity. Whatever the reason for exploration, the Europeans had a tremendous effect on not only their own country but also nearby countries and the countries that they explored. Spanish explores contributed to an abundant amount of South America's foundation. Some short term effects of Spanish exploration and colonization on South America were the creation of new races, depletion of natural resources, technological improvements, agricultural improvements, infrastructural improvements, and educational improvements, some long term effects were language, religion, and culture.

The European Age of Exploration took place during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Spanish explorers first explored and colonized South America during the sixteenth century. Some of the most popular Spanish Explorers from the European Age of Exploration were Francisco Pizarro, Juan Diez de Solis, and Pedro de Valdivia. All of these explorers explored some part of South America. Francisco Pizarro led an expedition into Peru. This Spanish exploration eventually led to the subjugation of the Incan Empire.

The short term effects of Spain on South America during the European Age of Exploration were the creation of a new race, the depletion of natural resources, technological improvements, agricultural improvements, infrastructural improvements, and educational improvements . When the Spanish and Native Americans mixed they formed a new race called Mestizos. Mestizos soon began to make up the majority of the population of Spanish colonies in South America. Another short term effect of Spain on South America was the depletion of natural resources. Seeing as gaining wealth was one reason for exploration during the European Age of Exploration, it was only time before natural resources in the countries that were explored were depleted. As a result of the Spanish explorers, South America gained better roads, railways, and buildings. Since the Europeans came from an established area that had roads, railways, and buildings, they contributed their knowledge to South America. South Americans also gained a better education from the Spanish explores during the European Age of Exploration. An additional short term effect of Spain of South America was an advancement in agricultural methods. The Spanish