The European Expansion and The Great Dying

One of the empires built during the Early Modern Era and is considered most prominent is the European empires in the Americas. It was distinct because the Spanish did not conquer their neighboring territories until later on but started their expansion in the Caribbean. By the 18th century, they have taken over the most of the Americas. 

There are certain factors that contributed to European expansion. One of them was geography. Europe, compared to its Asian competitors, is much closer the Americas. The air currents was also in their favor with the Atlantic wind blowing in the same direction. It was also easier for the Europeans to find allies in areas they were trying to conquer since there was already a division present within the local societies.    Their greatest advantage was the native's inability to build resistance because among the plants, animals, and people that the Europeans brought over was diseases that they had no immunities and practically wiped out society after society. This event is called the Great Dying and described by one scholar as the "greatest tragedy in the history of human species".

The diseases that brought about the Great Dying are called Old World Diseases and includes chicken pox, malaria, measles and yellow fever. During the Great Dying, up to 90% of the Native American population died. The peoples of the Caribbean Islands disappeared 50 years after Columbus' arrival. 

Regardless of all the disadvantages that the Europeans had during their expansion, what might have greatly contributed to their success was their motivation. The Europeans have summarized their motives of expansion by saying, "We came here to serve God and the King, and also to get rich". 

I thought that it was interesting that the epidemic that the Europeans brought about became their greatest advantage during their colonization. It was very sad to think that an entire human population was almost wiped out because of the selfish motivations.