The Spanish Empire was the first European power to arrive in America, first arriving in mid-1510s. Mexico and Florida were the first areas of America to have been occupied and explored by Spain. Spain’s original intentions in America, just like France and England, were to find resources and economic success. In Mexico, they discover precious metals, such as gold and silver. This was Spain’s main economic resource and became highly desired in Europe. However, instead of developing settlements and colonizing, like the Europe counterparts, they mostly build outposts for the conquistadores. After Spain secured their territory, Spaniard Priests and Missionaries were to America and began to work with the natives to convert to Catholicism and live a Catholic life style. The success of Spain’s exploration to the New World encouraged other European countries, like France and England, to explore America. The French went to America to, like Spain and England, look for economic success. However, along with economic success, they were also looking for a route to Asia through the Americas. French began to colonize in modern-day Canada around early 1540s. The area where France was occupied did not have as many natives living in the area, unlike Spain and England. The cold environment lead the French to …show more content…
However, England would quickly change their desire to mainly focus on colonization in America. The main reason for this change was to, not only expand the English empire, but to escape from the religious crisis developing in England. These colonies had a little more “freedom and flexibility” in religion practices. The main economic resource during the beginning of English colonization was Tobacco, which was just as desired as gold. Eventually, the English colonies would use maze, sugar, and lumber as other trading
A. The English came to what is now North America, then called, British North America for different reasons. Some came for the money and other freedoms, particularly those having to do with religion, and the expansion of territory. As well as, the wish for supremacy and power over other European countries. It was a matter of pride and prestige they obtained by taking over the territories.
“The Conquest of New Spain” is the first hand account of Bernal Diaz (translated by J.M. Cohen) who writes about his personal accounts of the conquest of Mexico by himself and other conquistadors beginning in 1517. Unlike other authors who wrote about their first hand accounts, Diaz offers a more positive outlook of the conquest and the conquistadors motives as they moved through mainland Mexico. The beginning chapters go into detail about the expeditions of some Spanish conquistadors such as Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, Juan de Grijalva and Hernando Cotes. This book, though, focuses mainly on Diaz’s travels with Hernando Cortes. Bernal Diaz’s uses the idea of the “Just War Theory” as his argument for why the conquests were justifiable
France in America introduces readers to events and developments throughout North American History from a perspective that is not normally presented in American History classes. The book begins by introducing readers to the events that would eventually lead lead France to colonize North America. After many failed attempts to colonize areas such as Brazil and Florida, France was forced to settle for lands in the north that were not sought out by rival European powers at the time.
Beginning in 1492, Spain had been the first European nation to sail westward across the Atlantic Ocean and colonize the Amerindian nations of the Western Hemisphere. The empire that came from this exploration extended from Virginia on the
The Conquest of New Spain Cortés came not to the New World to conquer by force, but by manipulation. Bernal Daz del Castillo, in the "Conquest of New Spain," describes how Cortés and his soldiers manipulated the Aztec people and their king Montezuma from the time they traveled from Iztapalaopa to the time when Montezuma took Cortés to the top of the great Cue and showed him the whole of Mexico and its countryside, and the three causeways which led into Mexico. Castillo's purpose for recording the mission was to keep an account of the wealth of Montezuma and Mexico, the traditions, and the economic potential that could benefit Cortés' upcoming conquest. However, through these recordings, we are able to see and understand Cortés' strategy in making Mexico "New Spain." He came as a wolf in sheep's clothing and manipulated Montezuma through his apparent innocence.
In pursuit of national glory, profit and religious mission, England started to explore and conquer the North America. Through the 1600s and the early 1700s, three major colonial regions, the New England colonies, the Middle colonies, and the Southern colonies, formed and developed, and the economic freedom from land owning drew people to the North America. However, during and after the French-Indian War, colonies cooperated to resist British policies and finally declared their independence in 1776.
The British were motivated to explore North America so they could evangelize and share the glory of God, obtain wealth, and trump rival European nations. With the flow of British colonists into North America increasing, colonies started to flourish. Economies started to boom and there was a growing reliance on forced labor. The English became increasingly aware that coercible labor would be the primary method of maintaining a successful economy. From 1600 to 1763, interactions between Europe and the British American colonies shaped the labor systems of the colonies. A major change was the shift in the source of the workforce, but the reliance on forced labor stayed the same.
Economic concerns of the British caused the colonization of British North America. Such economic concerns included the opportunity to acquire gold, silver, a North American waterway that would lead directly to China and the Indies, and the prospect of countering Spain's dominance in North America (Boorstin et al. 34). In addition to these economic reasons for colonization, the English were also seeking to obtain the essential "raw materials" in America that they had been previously buying from other European countries for exorbitant amounts of money and gold (Boorstin et al. 34). Great Britain also sought to solve other economic problems through American colonization. For example, England needed to replenish some of its diminishing materials and assets, generate another "market" to export its cargo and merchandise, maintain its powerful navy and "merchant marine" through business with new American colonies, and to provide a new place for the unemployed to settle rather than escalating populace/crime and the economic burden in its own cities (Boorstin et al. 34).
From the beginning the 17th century, when England first established its permanent colonies in North America, substantial differences occurred other colonies whose economy were mainly dedicated to the production of crops as well as more varied frugality of the northern colonial rules. Initially, colonists in Virginia and the Chesapeake of Maryland depended on the white indentured help as their chief labor force as well as some of the Africans who came in the area was able to get a property. Though, between 1635 and 1670, a significant difference arose between short-term vassalage for whites and the permanent slavery for blacks. In fact In Virginia, Bacon 's Revolt hastened the change toward slavery. Towards
There are many different factors that make up the motivation of the colonization of British North America in the Seventeenth century. Throughout the documents, there are a few words that come to mind time and time again when thinking about the English and French. Some of these words are greedy, adventurous, and religious. The English and French have many differences in the way they wanted their societies to be, and how they controlled the societies.
The Spaniards arrived at the Americas prior to the English. The Spanish mainly wanted to explore in the first place because after the Black Death, the population increased, and thus, so did the frequency of commerce. There was a sudden new interest in new products and the new strong monarchs who sponsored the journeys wanted to be more affluent. Therefore, explorers such as Christopher Columbus attempted to go west to target Asia. However, he ended up on Cuba and called the natives Indians. The Spanish soon started to consider the Americas less of a blockage and could now see it as a source of resources. In 1518, Cortes arrived into Mexico with his group of conquistadors, or conquerors, which is a proper name because the men after gold exterminated native areas using their military skills, brutality and greed to turn the Southern America into a vast Spanish empire. The smallpox the Spanish unknowingly carried also helped wipe many people out. When they saw the religious ceremonies of the Aztecs that produced many skulls, they thought of these people as savages and not entirely human. This of coarse was quite hypocritical because the Spanish have killed before during the Inquisition for their faith. It was this contempt that made them think it was all right to slaughter the natives. Spanish colonies were established when conquistadors had gotten a license to finance the expedition from the crown to fixture encomiendas. These encomiendas were basically Indian villages that became a source of labor. The Spanish dreamed of becoming wealthier from South America, but they also wanted a profitable agricultural economy and to spread their Catholic religion (the Pueblo Indians converted to Christianity), which became very important in the 1540s.
In the early 17th century, British colonizers began arriving in the New World in hopes of expanding their territorial domain. By the 18th century, Spanish colonizers had established trading posts and missions in the New World, covering a vast expanse of land that extended beyond even England’s colonial holdings. When the British arrived, they spurred on Indian depopulation and African and European immigration. The arrival of the Spanish resulted in near Indian extinction and a burgeoning international trade. Though Spain had an advantage of a century over Britain, both nations used the New World’s resources to further their mercantile goals, in the process, ravaging the native populations; however, Spain’s missionary efforts were more successful and the location of their respective colonies resulted in a monopoly of different economic commodities.
The English began colonizing North America for economic, social, and religious reasons. In the 1600s, there were many tensions rising in England. There were disputes over land. At the time, there was simply not enough land to sustain the population. During this time, many people were also looking to move up in social status. They were no longer satisfied with where they were. There was also mounting religious conflict during this time. England implemented a nationwide religious policy. Many people disagreed with forcing a religion on people; therefore, they chose to leave England in search for religious freedom. For these reasons, people chose to migrate to North America.
Why did English men come to North America? There are several reasons why the Englishmen came to North America. I think the most important reason they decided to come settle in North America is they finally wanted to have their own freedom. Freedom was a big thing at this time. They knew if they came over here they would have more freedom and have more opportunities. I guess they got tired of it and decided it was time to make a change. By them having more freedom they could experience more and now they could possibly make their own decisions.
Star²ng with Christopher Columbus in 1492 (who was incidentally Italian), the Spanish were the dominant group of se±lers in the New World for over a century. Abundant natural resources, like silver, and Na²ve American labor provided Spain with immense wealth. With the excep²on of Brazil, the Spanish expanded throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America and even into the southern and western parts of today’s United States. However, because the sheer amount of wealth generated from the New World, other European countries eventually developed their own interests in se±lement. The English began some explora²on in the late 1500s, but their ³rst permanent se±lement was not un²l Jamestown in 1607. The English se±lers shared some characteris²cs as the Spanish: economic wealth and religiosity.