European Voyages of Exploration of the 15th and 16th Centuries For several centuries following Columbus's historic discovery the North American Continent, Spain enjoyed riches from overseas that allowed it to be the most influential country in Europe. Originally inspired by a combination of a quest to prove that he could reach the Far East by sailing west and the desire to reap the rewards of precious metals and spices, Columbus

.. may not lack people to work their holdings for their maintenance, and may be able to take out what gold there is on the island;... And because this can better be done by having the Indians living in community with the Christians of the island, and by having them go among them and associate with them, by which means they will help each other to cultivate and settle and

(Wallerstein 2002, p. 51). Russia suffered many of the problems that were prevalent in other cultures where capitalism could have beenimagined to develop. Like Japan, Russia had a centralized government that controlled society and eliminated any chance of private enterprise and limited the ownership of land. It was not until the Revolution of 1905 that the serfs attained true freedom. (Figes 2002, p. 331). Afterwards, the nation was dominated by

Real America? Interestingly enough, one of the themes in the post-modernism period of American history has been the reexamination of the "real America," particularly the moral, ethical and sexual changes that have evolved since the turn of the century. This has not been a new theme, nor has it been relegated to non-fiction. At the beginning of the 20th century, American novelists were expanding the role fiction took by examining

English Colonies Many Europeans viewed America as the New World. To them this was a world full of new expectations, opportunities and, for others, the chance of a new beginning. The success, or failure, of the early settlers was largely dependant on the motives and expectations that they brought with them, but also on the way in which they dealt with the problems awaiting them in their new land. Just

American politics took another turn with problems that would lead to the Civil War, as the North and the South each had their own interests. Tariffs to protect some Northern manufacturing interests greatly angered the South leading to attempts to nullify acts of the federal government, ultimately resulting in conflict between the powers of the states and the federal Union. The result of this conflict led to the Civil War and American political development became one