In the history of Western Civilization, the ideology for expansion to new lands is often referred to as “God…Gold and Glory” In your opinion….what were some of the reasons for colonization by the European countries and especially for the continent of North America?
The history of Western Civilization cannot be studied without describing the imperialism of different European nations. Different nations such as Portugal, Spain, France, and Britain targeted new lands through expansion and exploration. The Europeans explored different continents from 1400 to 1800. North America was one of the best destinations for these Europeans. Several reasons explain why different European countries wanted to colonize North America.
The ideology for expansion was “God, Gold, and Glory”. The first reason for expanding to new territories was to spread Christianity (Keene, Cornell, & O’Donnel, 2012). During the period, many Christians engaged in different religious crusades. They wanted to spread the traditional beliefs of Christianity to more people. They were also against Islam and every non-Christian faith.
The European nations were also in constant competition. The Europeans embraced new ideologies such as mercantilism to enrich their nations. They wanted to acquire new metals for their nations. The word “Gold” denotes the need for different resources (Keene et al., 2012). Such resources included slaves, minerals, precious metals, and Asian spices. North America was therefore the best place to acquire these materials and resources. The nations also competed with one another. The European nations acquired new territories to strengthen their domestic and foreign powers.
The colonies of New England, the Mid –Atlantic, and the Upper and Lower South developed their forms of culture, conduct, and commerce. Given the choice, where would you have preferred to live?
The Europeans established several colonies in different parts of North America. According to Keene et al. (2012), the colonies of New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Upper South, and the Lower South established their cultural practices. They also adopted different commercial practices. I strongly believe that New England would have been the most habitable colony. To begin with, the colony embraced the best cultural practices. Religion was also taken seriously by members of the colony.
The colony identified new ideas that could support the needs of more people. The colony was also producing enough food for its people. As well, the colony established new industries and economic practices. The region also became the hub for international trade (Keene et al., 2012). This discussion shows clearly that New England must have been the right place for many people. Many people in the colony had access to clean water and proper medical services. The other colonies were characterized by inappropriate living conditions.
Compare and contrast the slave experience in the upper South and the lower South. In other words, were the slaves treated differently in the northern – Southern colonies vs. the southern South colonies?
The Upper and Lower South exhibited a wide range of differences during the colonial period. The Lower South was famous for its cotton plantations (Keene et al., 2012). That being the case, slavery was widely practiced in the region. Such slaves were vital to supporting the economy. The economy also depended largely on agriculture. The Upper South’s economy was mainly supported by cereals such as wheat (Keene et al., 2012).
The agricultural practices embraced in the Lower South attracted more slaves. Slavery remained the tone of the Lower South’s social and economic standards. Most of the slaves could not interact with their masters. They were also in constant disagreement with different Native Americans. Such slaves also worked for more hours. They were also graded depending on the color of their skins (Keene et al., 2012). The majority of the slaves had been sourced from Africa. Such slaves encountered harsh conditions.
On the other hand, many slaves in the Upper South were healthier and comfortable. All slaves were also treated equally. They also used English to communicate with different people. They also interacted and communicated with their masters (Keene et al., 2012). Some slaves could get better remunerations. In conclusion, the Upper South was friendly to different slaves than the Lower South.
Reference
Keene, J., Cornell, S., & O’Donnel, E. (2012). Visions of America: A History of the United States. New York, NY: Pearson.