How Did The French Colonize The Americas?

There were initially two to ten million natives in the United States prior to European contact. Those numbers dwindled down drastically in the years that Europeans came and started colonizing. The Europeans came to explore the New World in search of land, spices, gold, God and glory. Among these colonists were the Spanish and they colonized most of the southwest of the United States. Evidence of their settlements can still be seen today in the missions scattered across the land. These missions were started with the purpose of converting the Native Americans to Christianity. Now, imagine living your entire life with a particular set of beliefs, based on your ancestors and culture, and a group of foreigners come and proclaim that your views are all wrong and that you must follow their beliefs for the salvation of your soul. This is exactly what the Spanish did to the Natives. The relationship between the two parties were strained and rife with tension due to the conversion of the natives and the constant abuse doled out by the Spanish. This subsequently led to the disintegration of native life and culture.

As stated in “History of Mexico: 2” documentary film by History Channel, the Spanish believed it was their responsibility to save the souls of the natives by converting them to Christianity. Even thought the natives were forced to convert, the natives eventually accepted Catholicism into their everyday life, creating a mixture of cultures and eventually a mixing of heritages known as “Mestizo”.

It had very specific instructions and everything had to be done by protocol. It had to be read aloud and acknowledged by the natives. The Requirement stated that if rules were not followed and the natives would not yield to the Spanish authority then they would be warred upon. As said in Chapter 3, “It set the aims of warfare not as mere surrender, but as submission to the Catholicism and its legitimate representative, the Spaniards.” Thus, the spoken speech was focal point in Spanish conquest. “It “requires” that the indigenous peoples of the new world acknowledge the church as superior of the world and therefore consent to have priests preach to them.” The speech then goes on to give a written disclaimer that if anyone were to not follow these guidelines they were subject to death that they themselves brought upon them. The Spanish also used taxes as a form of submission and humiliation to conquer new worlds. This came from the influences of “jizya-inspired Moslem and Jewish tribute payments to Christian rulers.” Under Christian rule the wealthy communities paid in cash while the poorer communities paid in hard labor. Although, eventually, natives would merge into Spanish society they were never thought of as actual Spanish citizens they were thought of as subjects living under Spanish rule. Most of the Spanish Requirements were influenced by the Islam’s concepts of beliefs on conquering and taking over new people. The Spanish used

The Spanish came to the New World with the idea that they were going to practically enslave, convert, or kill the natives. Because of this the Spanish’s treatment for the natives was terrible and very early on. They would use natives to help them find gold and do other manual labor activities. The missionaries would attempt to convert them to Christianity and because a lot would not comply they would end up killing them. Early on the British settlers’ relationship with the native Americans is very different. At first, they were friendly. The first British settlers in a way to live on the Native Americans. North America them was very different from Great Britain, and the Native Americans had lived there for very long time. So, the British settlers took advantage of that and began to trade with the Native Americans and use them in order to help their new settlement survive. Although the Spanish and British relationship with the natives differed at first eventually they both ended up doing the same exact thing. They both killed the Native Americans and cause their societies to be displaced. Even though there and goals were different they both used the exploitation of Native Americans in order to achieve these goals.

As the Spanish conquered different parts of the world, they assumed that they were the most powerful and knowledgeable race. And that it was their duty to take charge of the places they conquered. This attitude is clearly present in Document 1, a letter to Charles V from Hernán Cortés. In this letter he states his disappointment in the Inca’s reaction to Christianity. By shutting down any suggestion of converting, they lost their chance to convert peacefully. Because of this, Cortes believes they would have to be convinced with force. Additionally in Document 3, “The Gold of the Indies”, it's shown that the Spanish are at the top of the social pyramid. Here it states that since the Spanish can’t force natives to work for them

Spain and Portugal spreading Catholicism among the native people was the excuse that the pope used to justified colonization.

The Europeans migrants travel to colonize the Americans impacting the world and attempting to improve the Americas with their systems from Europe. Neo-Europeans attempted to institute the old systems and way into the new colonies. Colonies such as New France was formed, there neo-Europeans attempts from France wanted to keeps its systems and ways. The trading post of Quebec was formed these Europeans worked among the Native Americans to sell these furs. The French priests originally spend their times attempting to convert the Hurons into Catholics. Mostly jesuit priests moved throughout Natives communities mastering their languages and learning their values. They were welcomed by the communities but when Natives continued to die from disease

As soon as Columbus lands in the Indies, he claims the land for Spain. He wrote, “There I found very many islands, filled with people innumerable, and of them all I have taken possession...and no opposition was offered to me” (Columbus 1). He immediately takes possession of everything despite not knowing exactly where he is. He then renames all of the islands as if they belong to him. He doesn’t care that other people already live there. The letter from de las Casas reveals the terrible things Columbus and his men did by enslaving the natives. He forced the people living on the islands to work for him without pay. de las Casas wrote, “[The Spaniards] have brought to the island of Hispaniola and the island of San Juan more than two million souls taken captive, and have sent them to do hard labor in the mines, labors that caused many of them to die” (de las Casas 6). de las Casas emphasizes that these people were forced to work against their will, and he notes that many of these people died because of it. “Then, like sheep, they are sorted out into flocks...the ship owners carrying of their share, the best flock, to compensate them for the moneys they have invested…” he wrote (6). He shows that the people were treated and sold like animals. Columbus and his men used them to make money, forcing them to gather natural resources that he could sell. de las Casas wrote about one instance of this. Some of the natives had to dive for pearls, which required them to be underwater for long periods of time. He wrote, “In this harvesting of pearls let us again consider whether the Spaniards preserve the divine concepts of love for their fellow men, when they place the bodies of the Indians in such mortal danger…” (6). He’s calling these men immoral, showing how they don’t care about the lives of their slaves. Columbus wanted more land so he could use its

Providing with a mature statement of what are the human rights and the limits on civil and church authority. In fact, Las Casas denounced Spain for causing the deaths of millions of innocent people (Voices of Freedom, P7).Bartolome de Las Casas hoped to make the wrongful Spaniard to understand that God has a plan for everyone and this is not it. That Indians no longer be enslaved. The black legend is true to extend; when Las Casas published a “scathing” and enduring reflection of Spanish behavior toward native populations in the new world.

After news reached Europe that Columbus had “discovered a new world” Spain sent over more people to begin colonizing these new places and eventually destroying both the Aztec and the Inca with their germs and their murdering. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sent over missionaries to convert the surviving indigenous people to catholicism and more people still to gather riches to send back to Spain, namely gold. There was no gold found but they did find a lot of silver. However some time before striking silver the New Laws were passed that prohibited enslaving the native americans under the threat of eternal damnnation. However the new king chose gold over god and repealed the new laws thus legalizing the enslavement of hundreds to work in

In other words, columbus have forced the natives into working in the gold mines for free so that he can take all the gold to spain.

A Spanish conquistador, Bartolome de Las Casas believed others should not rule the Indians, instead they should teach the Indians their Catholic Faith, and not force a man to do something beyond his will. Where the Catholic faith has been preached, all men are to accept the faith of Christ, at the same time, no man can force another to accept it. In addition, no one who is wicked should be punished, unless they harm another person or their property. In their faith, someone must return the favor if they were given a favor. No one can force this, nor be punished for not following the faith. Bartolome saw the Catholic faith for what it truly represents and the others went against all laws of God and nature itself, for how they treated the Indians.

In the concluding moments of Columbus’ letter to Lord Raquel Sanchez, he is describing in great joy the encounter of the indigenous people of the New World. Columbus is full with great gratitude towards his “lord and savior Jesus Christ” (Kishlansky,303) for allowing him to have “the great victory” of the discovery of the existence of the New world. He then exclaims that the great “procession” be made and Christianity be “rejoiced” on Earth. The intentions of spreading the message of Christianity and converting them is evident as one of Columbus’ main intentions. However, Columbus’ discovery of the New World allowed for a lot of Spanish expeditions, such as “Hernan Cortes” (Duiker and Spielvogel,397) expedition of 1519 and “Francisco Pizzaro” (Duiker and Spielvogel,398) expedition of 1531 to properly spread Christianity amongst the Americas. Specifically, Cortes expedition played a detrimental role in the spreading of Christianity amongst the “Aztecs” (Duiker and Spielvogel,398). Documented by Bernal Diaz del Castillo, who was “one of the soldiers who accompanied Hernan Cortes on the conquest of the Aztecs” (Kishlansky,304). Castillo describes an important event that occurred between Cortes and Montezuma, the leader of the Aztecs. After entering the Aztec “temples” (Kishlansky,305),

The establishment of colonies in North and South America was driven by the desire of gold and the expansion of acclaimed land. However, the effect of the colonization was not always well received by the natives who had prospered there for many years prior. Indian labor was utilized by the men who came and conquered their territory; to mine for the treasures that would bring great wealth to them and to the rest of the world. However, the explorers who dared to venture into the new world flourished, as the native populations decreased.

What problem did the Spanish have with native peoples in terms of accepting Christianity? Why?