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In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. His landing in the Caribbean was a significant event in relation to imperialism. He sailed for the Spanish throne, in attempt to grow their empire's sphere if influence.
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In the 1500s, the wealth of the Americas helped make Spain the most powerful country in Europe. Since other countries were so jealous of all the prosperity that they were rapidly gaining, Francis I divided Spain and Portugal and then placed laws that they weren't allowed to trade with each other. This challenged both countries to become wealthy with the support of each other and thus limiting their power to prosper.
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In 1519, Cortés docked on the coast of Mexico. As he explored the grounds he made alliances and plans to take over the Aztec empire. He soon found the city of Tenochtitlán and fell in love with all the prosperity hidden in the corners. The Spanish explorers imprisoned and compelled Montezuma to surrender all of his land and power. This relations to imperialism because Cortés came in from Spain to Mexico and took over the Aztec empire.
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Once sugar cane was discovered in the West Indies, Spanish explorers realized that they were going to need to grow them out in plantations and with that they were going to need a large amount of workers. They would grant conquistadors encomiendas and they would force Native Americans to work in harsh climates. If they refused they would be hunted down and killed. This system would also be used in mines. This helped the Spanish have materials to trade and made the process a lot less tedious.
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Spain would closely monitor its economic activities. Traders would only be able to export raw materials to Spain and wouldn't be allowed to buy any other material from any other country. Colonists wouldn't be able to trade with other Spanish colonies so that others wouldn't have the materials that were so precious to each colony, such as gold and silver.
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Britain and France soon became rivals and it affected Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. This war became known as the French and Indian War. It first started in the Americas and then spread out to Europe, India, and Africa. In the beginning attacks France had the upper hand until the British troops attacked Quebec and captured the city which allowed them to prevail. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed and the British had dominance of North America.
