Early Globalization: The Atlantic
World, 1492–1650 2
FIGURE 2.1 After Christopher Columbus “discovered” the New World, he sent letters home to Spain describing the
wonders he beheld. These letters were quickly circulated throughout Europe and translated into Italian, German,
and Latin. This woodcut is from the [rst Italian verse translation of the letter Columbus sent to the Spanish court
after his [rst voyage, Lettera delle isole novamente trovata by Giuliano Dati.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
2.1 Portuguese Exploration and Spanish Conquest
2.2 Religious Upheavals in the Developing Atlantic World
2.3 Challenges to Spain’s Supremacy
2.4 New Worlds in the Americas: Labor, Commerce, and the Columbian Exchange
INTRODUCTION The story of the Atlantic World is the story of global migration, a migration driven in large
part by the actions and aspirations of the ruling heads of Europe. Columbus is hardly visible in this illustration
of his ships making landfall on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (Figure 2.1). Instead, Ferdinand II of Spain
(in the foreground) sits on his throne and points toward Columbus’s landing. As the ships arrive, the Arawak
people tower over the Spanish, suggesting the native population density of the islands.
This historic moment in 1492 sparked new rivalries among European powers as they scrambled to create New
World colonies, fueled by the quest for wealth and power as well as by religious passions. Almost continuous
war resulted. Spain achieved early preeminence, creating a far-`ung empire and growing rich with treasures
from the Americas. Native Americans who confronted the newcomers from Europe suffered unprecedented
