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Northern European Power Shift Term Paper

¶ … Northern European Power Shift It seems to be a universal human trait that we are always seeking to go beyond perceived boundaries and explore the unknown. Sometimes, this is done for the sake of adventure and nothing more. Most times, however, this is done in the pursuit of wealth, whether it be in the form of land, gold, spices, slaves, or some other highly desirable commodity for a given culture in a given time.

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the dominant explorers of the time hailed from Portugal and Spain, and these countries were made quite wealthy as a result. Their position, however, as significant empires would not last forever, and soon, the countries of Northern Europe -- in particular, the Netherlands, France, and England -- set out to take their share of the riches, too. These countries improved on the Spanish and Portuguese methods of exploration, ship building, and trade. The English had faster, more agile ships that were more maneuverable then those of Portugal and Spain. For example, according to one scholar (Goldman),

The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked the turning point between the era of Spanish world domination and the rise of Britain to the position of international supremacy. Thus this battle began...

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The New World was a land rumored to be awash in cities of gold, huge tracts of fertile land, and the freedom to do as one wished, among other things, and the countries of Northern Europe wanted a part of this New World for their own empires. However, not everyone who went to the New World went in search of adventure, wealth, or fame. It was freedom, in particular, that drove a small band of settlers from England to come to the New World, not for riches or to help expand their country's empire and wealth, but to worship without persecution. These settlers founded what is known as the Jamestown Colony.
So how did Portugal and Spain manage to lose their empires? Part of the answer lies in the competition itself. The Dutch and the English began to attack the Portuguese in the east and the Spanish in the west. As a result, the Portuguese holdings began to diminish and they eventually had to abandon…

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Goldman, Steve. "Defeat of the Spanish Armada." 2003. The History Buff. http://www.historybuff.com/library/refspain.html.

Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2003. © 1997-2003 Microsoft Corporation. http://encarta.msn.com.
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