How did Christianity influence European explorations and settlements in the Age of Discovery?
What will be an ideal response?
Answers will vary. Christianity was used to justify colonization for the Spanish exploration and conquest of the New World. The initial explorations were funded by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain (initially just by her) and were intended to find alternate ways to the Far East for trade. Because of their close alliance with the pope, in claiming the regions of the New World for colonial territory, it was imperative that Catholicism be implanted lest they face competition from non-Christian explorers. This was further cemented in 1493 with the Treaty of Tordesillas, issued by the pope and dividing the control of everything to the west of a named line to Spain and to the east to Portugal, allowing domination of these regions by both Spain and Portugal. This was particularly an issue for Spain, which had recently completed the gradual Reconquista, removing all Muslim and Jewish presence from the Iberian Peninsula. Explorations and establishing a Spanish presence in Asia would allow the Christians to encircle the Muslim world and even perhaps to recapture Jerusalem.
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A. provide governmental reforms for the former French colony of Quebec. B. strip the inland colonies of land and power. C. create a model of colonial government in Quebec that eventually would be imposed on all the colonies. D. warn that eventually the Catholic Church would be given favored status in all the colonies.