Conquistador conquest was motivated by unlimited greed for gold

Evidence

So, while it would be wrong to attempt to reduce their statements to naked self-interest, it is clear that their discourse was molded and influenced by the play of motives and interests across their language. Of course, motives and interests are almost never wholly conscious or rational. The desires which drove the Europeans were powerful, but their power was not always subject to rational calculation. Marco Polo’s “treasures of the East” were tangible enough. But the seductive power which they exerted over generations of Europeans transformed them more and more into a myth. Similarly, the gold that Columbus kept asking the natives for very soon acquired a mystical, quasi-religious significance. — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2, 586 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: Pious and commercial motives fused in the Portuguese imperial venture; Colonial desires transformed tangible wealth into myths and mystical significance — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2: Identity…, 586; Overaccumulated wealth drove imperialism by enlisting an unprincipled surplus mob

Broader Connections

• Overaccumulated wealth drove imperialism by enlisting an unprincipled surplus mob #complicates (0.80)
• Pious and commercial motives fused in the Portuguese imperial venture #qualifies (0.75)
• Colonial desires transformed tangible wealth into myths and mystical significance #expands (0.72) — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2, 586