America is a place of freedom and independence. Our country is considered by most to be the "best" country in the world. America has not always been what it is now. Explorers, settlers, and Indians all affected the American continent and made it into what it is today. America was not discovered or explored until the late fifteenth century. The explorers were amazed by the mysterious new world; the settlers were ignorant of the land and its people (the Native American Indians); and the Indians were respectful of their home and learned to live with nature.
Many people explored the new world in search of great things. People such as Coronado searched for gold and riches, while others like Columbus simply stumbled upon the land. Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of America, liked the new world and found it fascinating. He never really developed a hate for the land, this may be because he never spent a lot of time actually on the land near the Indians. His purpose was not to explore the continent, it was merely a misshapen he discovered the large mass of land anyway. Columbus thought that America was a great place with a great climate and much to offer. Another explorer, Cabeza de Vaca and his men lived with the Indians in their harsh environment for eight months. The weather was miserable, the food was scarce, and the terrain was rough. These explorers had no idea what to expect from the new world, but they soon found out. They soon came to respect the land, working hard to survive. Their views differed from Columbus !.
because they experienced the New World first hand for a long period of time. The explorers" opinion of America varied according to why they were on the land. Some were in search of riches, others in seek of land, and others had no purpose-just luck.
The first settlers held similar views as the explorers, but the settlers chose to settle on the land for longer periods of time.