Pfernan Cortez: The First Religion In America

One of the major and more difficult goals for the Spaniards was to convert the indigenous people to Christianity. The Indigenous religion was so strange to the Spaniards that they believed the indigenous were not as evolved or progressed as they were. When Cortes was writing back to the Spanish crown he dramatized the indigenous people as savages who needed to be converted to Christianity in order to be saved. In the book Religions of Mesoamerica David Carrasco explains how, “These beliefs and missionary efforts reflected the primary attitude of the Catholic Church that the native peoples were “souls to be saved” in a global process of conversion” (Carrasco 21). To achieve their goal or religious conversion the Spanish started missionaries where Franciscans

Due to its ability to provide a spiritual and emotional connection between the Spanish and the natives, Roman Catholic Church functioned as most important key in establishing the culture in New Spain colony. Even in modern day Mexico we can see how big the influence of the Catholic church played in the early development of Mexican culture. Affecting everything from art to everyday routine, the church gave key elements by influencing all aspects in the New Spain colony. Its biggest function was to develop a connection between natives of the time with Spanish culture through the work of Franciscan monk missionary spread of the Catholic doctrine. We can see the heavy influence of the church in the arts of the time, from architecture to poetry, the Catholic church was being represented. The biggest effect seen from the natives is the worship of the lady of Guadalupe, as it

Compare the ways in which religion shaped the development of colonial society (to 1740) in TWO of the following regions: New England

The Spanish and English colonies varied in terms of religion such as immigration and opinions on salvation. Starting in the late 1500s and early 1600s, conquistadors such as Vasco Nunuez de Balboa and Herman Cortes of the Spanish empire first started to make their way into the New World. Known for their mantra, “Gold, Glory, God”, the main reason for their expansion was for power and wealth. In the Spanish church, the Pope decided who went to Heaven. This

Before the English ventured to Roanoke Europeans explored and settled the New World. The Spanish were the most successful in settling the New World. They conquered most of Central and South America. Their main objective was to convert all of the Indians to Christianity. “Spain’s claim to posses the Americas was based on discovery, conquest, and settlement, but even more important, it was founded on the sacred enterprise of extending the Catholic faith to (in Spanish eyes) “barbarous” native peoples” (Horn 12).

During the early stages of North America, the Spanish settlements in the Southwest and the English colonies contrasted from each other as a result of different resources, religion, and various other factors. In the 17th century, North America was just beginning colonization. In 1588, the Spanish attacked the English but were defeated because the English used different tactics that were swifter. Both the Spanish settlers and English were devoted to their religions. While the English were trying to decide what path of religion to follow, the Spanish had already choses Christianity as their dominant religion. Some Spanish missionaries were founded in California and Texas with the goal to Christianize the natives. The English

The role of the Roman Catholic Church in Spain’s conquest and colonization of continental America was a two-fold process whereby under the façade of conversion and control lay the primary goal of gaining wealth, enforcing laws and the inevitable extension of control while condoning the beginnings of European slavery in the Caribbean.[i]

It wasn’t long after that people started to see America as the place that the new or second salvation of the lord was to be found. It was believed “that the beginning of this great work of God must be near.”5 All these things that were happening to the colonist, changes of ideals, actions, and revival of religion, could only be explained by the work of God, because “God presently goes about doing some great thing in order to make way for the introduction of the church’s latter-day glory.”6

Around the 15th century, when the Americas were discovered, Europe was going through a great religious change. There were many disputes in Europe about the Roman Catholic Church and its teachings. Later, the two prominent religious figures that completely impacted the way people view religion in a different light were a German monk named Martin Luther, and a Frenchman named John Calvin. That’s when they started a religious reformation. Some countries, such as France and England, were most affected by the sudden change, which caused them to become slow to colonize in the New World. However, the Spanish and the Portuguese were unaffected and were the first to arrive in America, so their Catholic church and beliefs also went with them. Thus, Catholicism

The Post-Classical Period encompassed both a return to the legacies of classical civilizations as well the beginning of new empires. However, what was most significant about this period was the increase in trade and the spread of religion between civilizations. Two continuities in the development of religion in the Americas during the Post-Classical period were religion’s political impact and cultural influence. One change in the development of trade in the Americas during the Post-Classical period was the increased economic interaction due to the emergence of empires.

Religion in this period began to be forced on South Americans during the time of the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) came in to this region, but failed in converting many people to the monotheistic religion of Christianity. Before the Jesuits, South Americans believed in a polytheistic faith, such of that of the Inca “Sun God” and “Thunder God”. Jesuits, originating in French Canada or Spain, worked hard to convert those to Christianity by mastering native languages, along with creating boarding schools for young boys and girls, along with setting up model agricultural communities for converted Americans. They established churches throughout the region such as in in Huron and Algonquin territories. While the culture never really adapted to that of the Christian faith but instead continued to have faith in their deity’s. Due to the lack of acceptance, the church in the end redirected its missions and resources to different countries such as French settlements, founding schools, hospitals and churches.

One of the significant differences between the Spain and England was their role in religion. The Spanish wanted to spread the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world and unify the world in the belief of one God. After arriving to the New World in 1492, the Spanish forced indigenous people to convert to Catholicism. Dominican and Franciscan Friars were sent over to the New World to set up missions and to convert the natives. If the native people chose to disobey the Spanish orders and not convert to Catholicism, then natives would be killed by the Friars and

The religious views of the Southwest Colonies and New England colonies hugely contrasted. The dominant religion in Spain at the time was Catholicism. Catholicism gave the Spaniards a common identity and allowed them to explore much faster than the English who were experiencing a religious civil war at the time. So the Spanish went over to spread Catholicism. “ The Franciscans and

The history of religion in the United States comes a long way dating from the early 1600s when the first pilgrim settlers came to this country. It has been noted that these settlers were highly influenced by the Protestant faith which led to a community level of influence in this country as well. The faith of theses settlers were motivated from the New World of Europe where they practiced their religion in a peaceful environment. Later in history, it was noted that people of Spanish decent started the famous network of the Catholic missions in California. When California became a part of the United States, Catholic churches and institutes were formed. These churches and institutes were also formed in New Orleans and Louisiana.

Before Columbus landed in the West Indies in 1492, The Spanish Inquisition made it known to anyone within Spain’s domain of influence that if a person was not of the Catholic religion, they were to be punished severely and sometimes even fatally. This influence would undoubtedly be brought over to the Americas a century later, as the colonization of the New World would begin by then. While it was very essential for the Spanish (as well as the Portuguese) to improve their economy by using the resources they found in Latin America, it seemed to a number of them as if that was the only reason for being there, or the main reason at the very least. During the Spanish Inquisition and from that point after, it was the Pope’s main goal, to