Christopher Columbus vs. Zheng he
By: Austin Weathers and Ben Goyne (2nd Period)
Columbus' Motives
1) Profit
He hoped that by sailing west he would reach India and China faster and more direct then going around the end of Africa. He wanted to buy spices at a low price at their point of origin, bring them back to Europe, and sell them for a huge profit. He didn't need to prove the worlds is round, he already knew it was.
2) Religion
He hoped to bring Catholicism to the natives of where ever he ended up. It was widely believed that as soon as everyone on earth head the word about Jesus Christ he would return.
Zheng He's Motives
He wanted to show the rest of the world all of the glory and riches that China had. Basically wanted to show everyone else that china was better than them.
He wanted to get new goods and spices. was trying to trade chinese porcelain (type of pottery) and silk.
Accomplishments
- Discovered the Americas (landed on the coast of South America)
- Discovered a trade route across the Atlantic using winds that blew from east to west (the trade winds)
- Started the Colombian exchange
- Proved it was possible to cross the Atlantic and come back
- Began relations between Western Europe and the Americas
Zheng He
When he returned to china he brought back pearls and spices from africa and Asia
He succeeded in showing off china’s might to the rest of the world
Brought back jewels, medicines, and exotic animals to give to the Emperor
Zheng He was instrumental in the 1407-08 remodeling of a temple dedicated to Tianfei in Meizhou, the city of her birth.
He spread Islam. He and his crew regularly promoted the religion and converted a number of people.
Columbus' Legacy
- His journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation on the American continents, including the exploration and civilization of the future United States
- Disease and environmental changes resulted in the destruction of the majority of the native population over time, while Europeans continued to extract natural resources from these territories
- He is remembered as a daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually devastate the native populations he and his fellow explorers encountered.
Zheng He's Legacy
He had extreme organization in his voyages and showed great technological advancements
He left a legacy of Islam. But he began as a Chinese Muslim and then transferred to Islam later in life
- He was a great navigator and strong leader