European Empire Research Paper

Words: 539
Pages: 3

Since the formation of the world’s first states beginning in the second wave era, human societies have increasingly organized into larger empires. These empires have conquered territories that included a variety of cultures, religions, and traditions. From the Hellenistic, Romans, Indian, and the Han empires in the second wave to the Arab Islamic, Tang, Mongol empires in the third wave era, civilizations and cultures have experienced trade, cultural exchange, and brutalities of conflict. However, the creation of the European colonial empires, particularly the Spanish, of the 1500s-1600s were rather different. Beyond the bloodshed, the European conquests during the Age of Exploration resulted in a turning point in history. Europeans were able …show more content…
According to Roberts, by the end of the eighteenth century, “European nations, including Russia, had already laid claim to more than half the world’s land surface”(633). The advanced technology and navy Europe had, allowed them to settle colonies in the Americas and control a vast majority of the New World. This is significant because it symbolized the creation of the European colonial empires. This overseas empire ultimately benefited the economy of these European countries through the establishment of a system known as Mercantilism. According to Roberts, “the Spaniards and Portuguese were the only powers colonizing in the western hemisphere...who managed to make their American possessions not only pay for themselves but return a net profit for the metropolis”(647). In other words, Mercantilism established a favorable relationship within the European countries and its colonies. It is said that the colonies existed to provide agricultural goods and wealth for the mother country. Hence, the establishment of colonies in the Americas allowed for the stability and dominance of European