Final answer:
European views of the New World were significantly influenced by the Reconquista and the rise of the slave trade, leading to an exploitative approach to both its natural resources and indigenous people.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Reconquista and the rise of the slave trade played significant roles in shaping European perspectives toward the New World, influencing both the perceived opportunities for exploitation of its wealth and resources and attitudes toward its indigenous populations. The Reconquista was a period where Christian kingdoms aimed to recapture territory from Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula, contributing to a worldview that supported conquest and the spread of Christianity. This translated into a legitimization of the concept of expansion and colonization in the New World. Likewise, the establishment of the African slave trade created a mindset that rationalized the dehumanization and exploitation of other groups for economic gain, manifesting in the enslavement of both African peoples and the indigenous populations of the Americas.
Economic gain was a primary motivator for European exploration, as evidenced by the mercantilist economy that sought to acquire colonies for raw materials and new markets. Similarly, the allure of riches led to the Spanish Encomienda System and other forms of forced labor. As a consequence of these European strategies and attitudes, the natural resources of the New World were heavily exploited, and its indigenous peoples were subjected to conquest, disease, and subjugation. This reciprocal relationship also saw European culture and economy being influenced by goods like tobacco from the Americas. Therefore, the correct option in relation to the question asked would be (c) Both a and b.