New Land Colonization

The Spanish conquistadores were arrogant and sent ravage upon the indigenous peoples. The Spanish were arrogant towards the indigenous peoples by taking their gold and keeping it for themselves instead of returning it to the Spanish royalty. De las Casas had a exceptionally, incredible description of them, the

European colonization of the Americas should be remembered as a tragedy for the impractical and immoral acts upon Native Americans and slave laborers. The European colonization of the Americas was a series of atrocities committed upon underdeveloped territory by settlers throughout the Americas. Many European countries took part in the advantages of the land to increase economic trade and newly found resources. However, the net result of this colonization for the indigenous who already inhabited these lands was the exploitation of Native Americans and Slaves through forced labor, Christian ideals being forced upon those certainly from different beliefs, and the general theft of land and natural resources.

1. What fundamental factors drew the Europeans to the exploration, conquest, and colonization of the New World? What was the impact on the Indians, Europeans, and Africans when each of their previously separate worlds “collided” with one another? What caused the shift from indentured servant to African slaves as the dominant labor force in the southern colonies?

When the French came to the New World, they went further up north to Canada rather than staying in the south like the Spanish. When they found the natives, they were friendly with the natives and respected them. The French learned the natives’ language, and taught the natives their language. The French showed the natives their religion, and a good deal of the natives converted to Christianity. Considering that most of the French were men that travelled to the New World, they would marry the newly Christian women, and have families with them. The natives also helped the French with their fur trading business, showing them where to go to obtain the fur. The French people were the most accepting of the natives and their cultures than the other countries that travelled to the new world.

In 1602, the Company of New France was given the trade monopoly for the area, but in return, it promised to settle 4,000 colonists within next 15 years. Some of the first people sent were Jesuit missionaries who sought to learn the Indian languages in order to spread Christianity to them. The first native group that the Jesuits sought to convert was the Huron, who were ravaged by smallpox soon after. Many Hurons felt that the Jesuits were responsible and wanted to execute them, but the desire to maintain good trading relations with the French was stronger than the desire to kill the Jesuits. The French wanted to maintain trade relations as well, and many French trappers and fur traders would marry Indian women. This partnership would pay off later on, when the overwhelmingly outnumbered French colonists would need their Native American allies in the French and Indian

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

Great observation, the relationship between the French and Native American of the early colonization were very successful. Therefore, both sides needed each other in order to exchange their goods in order for survival. At first, the Native Americans were receptive to the French building their colonies because they viewed the French as partners and they would protect them against other Native Americans. As we learned in the text, “that the support to the Huron tribes in their efforts against the confederated tribes of the Mohawks and Iroquois (Reich, 2011, p. 37). However, the French tried to impose their culture onto the Native Americans by trying to convert them to Christianity. In fact, the Indians were not too keen on this idea and as

English were slow to colonize in the New World was because of the critical; religious changes that took place in Europe. It wasn’t until much later did England began to take interest in colonizing in the Americas. At first, England’s interest in the far side of the Atlantic centered primarily on fish because fish was a big part of their English diet. However, as their continental market for English wool began to fail because of the continuous religious conflicts in Europe, English people began to look towards the Americas for new opportunities. England knew that the Spanish and the Portugal had claimed all of the Americas through the Treaty of Tordesillas. However, the English ignored the treaty and began to make attempts to settle in the Americas.

Spanish settlements in Northern America were primarily established for gold and silver for example they forced slavery on Indians to work in gold and silver mines. Another example stands in Hernando Cortez, upon conquering the Aztecs, besieged their capital city and “stole” their gold and other precious resources. Unlike the English the Spanish were much more willing to integrate cultures like the French. Intermarriage between Spanish and Native Americans was very common which formed a new ethnicity which established a cultural peace between Spanish and Natives. However, they still dominated the Natives to ensure they can fully exploit the natural resources.

Ever since Europeans began to colonize land in the New World, Native Americans have suffered immensely. Europeans colonized the entirety of both North and South America fairly easily. Most people attribute this to the fact that Native Americans were inferior to Europeans in the aspect that they were not as advanced militarily or diplomatically. For example, most Americans see Native Americans as inferior due to the fact that Europeans were able to take over all of the Native Americans land, which is a completely wrong way of thinking. European colonization and domination in North America is centered around diseases and the fact that Native Americans had never been exposed to certain diseases that Europeans brought over from the Old World. The

Between the French and the English in the New World, there were several differences. First, the majority of the French people were loyal Catholics and thus were determined to spread their Catholic Faith to the Indians of the New World. On the other hand, most of the English people were united under the Church of England, or Anglican Church, and rejected Christian doctrine. While the first French settlements were established around Quebec in Canada, the first English settlements were established further to the south, near Virginia. Finally, the French colonists’ main goals were fur trading, to convert the Indians to Christianity, and to gradually settle in the New World.

Colonization of the new continent began as an attempt to build an upstanding Christian society that led to the destruction of many thriving Native American societies, rationalized by what seemed like religious significance. To illustrate the religious factors that led to conflicts between the early Euro-American settlers and the Native Americans I will focus on the Puritans that settled in what is known as Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, that was home to various native groups.

Though an intial phase of exploration and conquest expanded the european presence in America in search of riches, Colonization brought settlers with hope of profitable agriculture oppurtunities. With these settlers came European culture and the Catholic Church. By the Early 17th century, Catholic missions were becoming a common form of settlement with the mission to convert natives. This missionary work became one of the most important factors for European immigration to America after the era of conquistidors (Brinkley p. 16). The ability to start anew also drew many settlers in an effort to avoid religious persectuion in their home countries.

There was a conflict in England between James I and Charles I that ignited a Civil War that lasted for 7 years. During this warring period it drove many people out which lead to inflation and poverty("European Colonization of the Americas."). People heard of the riches and economic potential that was found in America, thus causing them to migrate in hopes that they too would find such wealth. There were wide open fields that would be perfect for farming, tobacco quickly became the cash crop of the New World. The coast was also great for fishing and provided exports of cod and many other fish back to the home land ("Reasons For English Immigration To the North American Colonies.").

Colonization of regions all over the world is a part of history that has affected many indigenous populations from African Americans, Native Americans, and Jewish alike. For the purpose of this essay, I will focus on the Native American culture. Indigenous women have suffered the most from injustices placed upon them. Issues such as lack of land rights, financial capabilities to care for their family, sexual abuse and mutilation, forced values, and violence only covers a few. Not only were they faced with discrimination from being an indigenous person, they also were faced with discrimination from being a woman. Mary Crow Dog said it best in her statement: