Modern America is regarded as a nation of opportunity and wealth. This was also true for Europeans throughout the early days of the New World. In order to achieve dominance in Europe, the expanding powers sought for land in America. Because it was so far away from Europe that direct monarchical supervision was impossible, the land of opportunity gave birth to increased sense of freedom and independence. As history showed, all European nations who conquered the Americas eventually lost control, resulting in the emergence of sovereign countries.
Between the 1400s and the 1600s, European countries established American colonies in the North and South colonial areas, based on ideals of economic opportunity and religious tolerance for the benefit of the motherland, to the extent that the immigrants’ choices and decisions allowed. This essay seeks to explainthe origins of American colonization, its impact on the American people and reason for the invasion of the America by other European powers.While the colonization of America and the geopolitical conditions it found itself in allowed for the formation of states based on democracy and individual freedom, it came at a cost of suppressing the native populations through the force of arms, economy, and disease.
Background: Early Colonization of America
The colonization of the North American continent and its inhabitants commenced with the Spanish flotilla arriving in 1565 at St. Augustine, Florida. It continued with the British expedition in 1587 at Roanoke, Virginia, when the Plymouth Company settled a town named Roanoke. The London Company established a presence in what would later become Jamestown, Virginia, in 1606, after the initial settlement strangely failed. The French created Quebec in 1608, and the Dutch established a colony in present-day New York in 1609. Throughout this time, Native Americans tried to resist European ambitions to gain land and power while simultaneously fighting new diseases brought in by Whites and the slave trade.
European countries came to America to accumulate their riches and influence in global affairs. The Spanish were among the first Europeans to explore and settle in what is now called the United States. However, by 1650, the British had built a stronghold on the Atlantic coast. In 1607, Jamestown, Virginia, became the first colony. Many of those who immigrated to the New World were fleeing religious persecution. In 1620, the Pilgrims, the forefathers of Plymouth, Massachusetts, have arrived to the new continent. The colonists in both Virginia and Massachusetts prospered with the help of Native Americans. New World foodstuffs like corn kept the colonists from going hungry, while tobacco supplied a lucrative cash crop in Virginia. Enslaved Africans made up an increasing percentage of the colonists by the 17th century. By 1770, the 13 British North American colonies had a population of almost 2 million individuals residing there.
Pennsylvania was a prosperous prospective colony that gave people a chance for a new start in life. The Quakers, a Protestant sect persecuted in England, settled in the area. They believed that everyone was equal and that sustaining a spiritual connection did not necessitate adhering to a religious leader’s beliefs. Quakers acknowledged the importance of pacifism, many among them being persons who refused to use force or participate in hostilities. In compensation for a debt owed to Penn’s father, King Charles granted territory to William Penn, a wealthy English Quaker, in 1680.
In his work, titled Educating the empire: American teachers and contested colonization in the Philippines, Steinbock (2019) states thatPennsylvaniawas a place where religious liberty was permitted. It was considered a “holy experiment” for him, an opportunity to put his Quaker values to the test. Penn constructed Philadelphia personally, drafted Pennsylvania’s first constitution, and promoted the colony as an active political entity across Europe.
In 1701, Penn released the Charter of Privileges, which gave colonists the power to pick their representatives. In both the Middle Colonies and the United States, Pennsylvania became the wealthiest state. It provided the colonists with a ray of optimism in the face of England’s oppressive ways and an open door leading to the first step toward independence and hope.
Impacts of the American Colonization
The European colonization of the Americas, which began in the 15th century, was a significant historical event. The trend began with Portugal’s adventures and overseas exploration and swiftly expanded throughout Europe, with Spain and Portugal splitting the South American continent. The new world’s discoveries benefited Europe’s financial progress. The introduction of European ideas, on the other hand, completely transformed the Native American economy. In his work, titled The British colonization of Australia: An expose of the models, impacts and pertinent questions Peace and Conflict Studies, Genger (2018) notes that the locals were also affected by the introduction of the Christian faith. Colonization’s most powerful influence was definitely disease, which wiped out the local population. Overall, European colonization of the Americas had a bad influence on the Natives in terms of economics, religion, and health, ultimately leading to severe European dominance and authority in the Americas. The amount of money generated by the colonies was one of the most visible effects of colonization. The Encomienda system in Spain and the Donatario system in Portugal permitted European countries to profit off the native population.
To provide an appropriate amount of agricultural exports at a cheap cost, large-scale farming of cash crops (such as dye-wood and sugar) enslaved Native Americans as well as African slaves (obtained through the triangle trade system). Through the Columbian Exchange, Europeans introduced several agricultural goods to the rest of the Old World. With the introduction of wheat, rice, oats, and sugar, food productivity grew, and hunger became less widespread. Furthermore, livestock (domesticated animals) such as cows, pigs, and chicks helped the indigenous people find new food sources. European goods not only influenced American agriculture, but they also influenced its culture as well.
The introduction of European animals also changed the face of transportation.McCoy and Thompson (2018) note that the arrival of European horses gave rise to new hunting possibilities (such as those of the Plains Indians of North America). Metalsmithing, literature, and agriculture were among the European trades that spread to the Americas, and “all the Spanish trades had been successfully learned by the locals.” European religion spread along with the growth of European trade and goods. Christians, led by Bartolome de las Casas, considered religious conversion of the Indians as their mission. During the period of colonization, Charles V was waging a war against Protestantism, and the influx of converts from the New World was a welcome boost for Catholicism. The conversion of the locals, on the other hand, was not peaceful. Chief Hatuey’s conversion, in which he was offered the choice of being baptized or being burned at the stake, is an example of hostile techniques employed to convert the locals.
Furthermore, the Inca monarch Atahualpa insulted the Bible by dropping it on the ground, which started a battle between Francisco Pizarro and Atahualpa. Unintentionally, diseases aided the Europeans in their conquest and conversion of the indigenous peoples. Due to the topography and biodiversity of Eurasia, Europeans had domesticated animals living near together, resulting in a plethora of zoonotic diseases (diseases transferred by animals) in Europe, Asia, and Africa. On the other hand, because the natives had never been exposed to these diseases, the residents of the new world had never developed immunity to them. Smallpox and other diseases were introduced by the Europeans, reducing the native population from 30 million in 1519 to 3 million in 1568.
Europe’s attitudes toward the Americas were based on economic, theological, and political considerations. New economic systems and imports garnered tremendous profits for Europe while subjugating and enslaving the Indians. In addition, many European trades were introduced to the New World. One of the goals of colonization was to propagate Christianity throughout the Americas. Simultaneously, the colonists transmitted a significant number of diseases across the continent unknowingly. While some of the results of colonization were favorable, some were disastrous, with colonialism ultimately paving the way for the globalization of human connection.
To conclude, the colonization of the Americas was a conquest.Although it has been perceived as the land of the free, that freedom and economic prosperity came in hand with the oppression of slaves and genocide of the natives. The vast resources and land found in the Americas helped fuel the Old World while enabling the construction of the infrastructure necessary for the regions’ impending economic and political freedom.
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