Essay On The Amerindians

After its discovery, the Americas became very profitable land for the Europeans in the 15th to 17th century. There were all sorts of new resources and riches available. These led to a massive oversea trade between the Americas and Europe called the Colombian trade. This brought direct changes in the economy, demography, social classes, and the lives of the Amerindians. The massive changes made by the Europeans affected how the Americas are today. The Spaniards created their colonies in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. These areas were inhabited by many different groups of indigenous people, such as the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans. They discovered this land after many voyages. The land was claimed by a few different conquistadors

The land conquered was rich in metals. Gold and silver was worth a lot and the Spanish were sure to take advantage of it. The Amerindian people were aware of the metals and use them for jewelry, but they didn’t know the value. The native people did not have the technology or tools to actually mine it. The Amerindians did not have iron, which was necessary for mining because of its strength. The Spaniards brought new technology but their smelting techniques were not effective in the climate and geography of the Americas. They received help from the Incas and were introduced to something called a guayra, a traditional type of oven. This is significant because it shows that not only were the Spaniards introducing new technology to the Amerindians, the Amerindians had technologies that were new to the Spaniards as well. They created new tools that advanced the mining productivity. The Amerindians were worked according to a system called encomienda which forced a certain amount of labor on each Amerindian. These terms were inhumane and brutal, and led to a huge population decrease. The birth rate went down as well because the Amerindians were being constantly worked and had no time to reproduce, and the women would not be provided the conditions they need to carry a child. Another work system used was called mita, and it forced a percentage of adult men to work a harsh 60-120 days working nonstop for the Spaniards.

The French, similar to the Spanish, had plans to convert the Amerindians to Christianity. They set up missionaries who spoke the native languages and set up Catholic schools for their children. Of course, not all the Amerindians were interested in converting, so the indigenous religions continued to thrive. The population of the French colonies was still small, and they still relied on the native people as allies, so they had to put their irritation about the Amerindians refusing Christianity aside. The French later expanded to Louisiana. Their small population made this slightly difficult, but they were very aggressive. The French were still in need of the native people, but the native people grew dependent on the French as well. They relied on one another for a while until the Seven Years War occurred, in which the English stole French Canada and captured the indigenous people. After the loss of Canada, the French tried to colonize the Caribbean to benefit off the sugar and tobacco