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Impact of religion in colonies
Influence of Religion on Colonial America
Religion in colonial times essays
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Name: AJ Have you ever thought about the history of St. Augustine, Fl. Spanish conquistador Pedro Menendez settled St. Augustine in August 28, 1565. He settled St. Augustine for Three reasons, Religion, Treasure, and Colonization. Spain's only troubles with the land is to drive away the French and keep their gold and silver safe. Documents A and B show the importance of religion to the Spanish. The Spanish were sent to St Augustine to put up an enormous wooden cross (Doc A). They put up this cross to spread the catholic faith. They traveled with a chaplain whom the conquistadors seem to answer (Doc A). Document B will show how strong Pedro Menendez's religious motivation by spreading his hatred of protestants. The Spanish beliefs were
so strong they were willing to use military force(Doc B). In conclusion St. Augustine was settled to drive away the French protestants and to spread the catholic faith. Document C tells why Spain was the richest country in Europe. The reason Spain is a very rich country is because the spanish treasure fleet has 50 to 60 ships at a time (Doc B). St. Augustine was settled to protect and serve this fleet. This explains why Spain was the richest country in Europe. Colonization was very important to the French.This document can be used to help support 3 reasons for settling St. Augustine. The Spanish started to establish a permanent settlement by requesting for 137 tradesmen (Doc C). To spread the Christianity they requested 12 children and 4 teachers(Doc C). In case they ran into any French soldiers or huguenots they requested for 1,000 more Spanish soldiers(Doc C). This document can be used to show how important colonization is to the Spanish. These three reasons explain why Spain settled St. Augustine. Spain settled St. Augustine for Religion, Treasure, and Colonization.
One of the most interesting aspects of Diaz’s narrative is towards the end when Cortés broaches the subject of Christianity with Montezuma. Conversion and missionary work was one of the most important and lasting goals of the conquistadors and other contemporary explorers, they were charged with this duty by the rulers who sent t...
Juan Ponce de Leon is most recognized as the Spanish explorer who discovered Florida. However this was not his only achievement or contribution to the Spanish empire. Prior to discovering Florida he helped fight off the last of the Moors in Granada, he prevented the Indians from attacking the Spaniards in Hispaniola, he served as the first governor of Puerto Rico, discovered other geographical features off of Florida’s coast all while never giving up on his quest for gold or to gain the same recognition as Christopher Columbus.
Bartolome de las casas had hoped to prevent further harm to Indians, and clarify that they were not barbarians. Of the text named Bartolome de las casas: In Defense of the Indians(c.1550) it covers what is to be the Spanish Conquistadores, and talks of the natives to which at the time seen by many are barbaric, ignorant, incapable of learning, just another group of people to be conquered. But to the Catholic missionaries, they see the Natives as new people to influence and enlighten. But if at any time the person drops the belief in Christianity, they would use deadly force against the person or family. Adding to that, Hernán comments that their cities are “ worth of admiration because of their buildings, which are like those of Venice”(Poole 4).
On June 17, 1527, Cabeza de Vaca set sail on the order to conquer and govern the lands from the Rio Grande to the cape of Florida. However, during his journey he encountered much devastation such as the wrecking of his ship which resulted in his separation from the majority of his Christian companions. Praying to God after every ordeal, Cabeza routinely sought after his Christian religion to guide him through his unexpected journey. While traveling through the interior of America, he also encountered many native tribes which inhabited the land. While most of the Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century spread their religion through warlike ways and rearranged societies for the sole purpose of their own economic gain, Cabeza thought that kindness was the only way to win the hearts of the natives and without clothes or any material possessions, he upheld his promise and beliefs. After being enslaved by the natives Cabeza moved from tribe to tribe with the hope of finding his fellow Christians while praising and thanking God that his life was spared. Moving from tribe to tribe as a medicine man Cabeza still lived by his Christian teachings and implemented them into the way that he communicated with the natives, ultimately converting many tribes into Christianity. The religion of Christianity directly influenced the way in which Cabeza de Vaca interacted and felt toward the natives, thus throughout the duration of his time traveling across the interior of America, Cabeza was able to continually practice his religious beliefs while also being able to convert many Indians to his religion at the same time.
The discovery and conquest of American Indians inspired efforts to develop an ideology that could justify why they needed to enslave the Indians. The Spanish monarch wanted an ideal empire. "A universal empire, of which all their subjects were but servants. Charles V remained for them the dominus mundi, the legitimate and God-ordained lord of the world." (Weckmann, The Transit of Civilization, 23) Gold and religious conversion was the two most important inspirations for conquistadors in conquering America. Father Bartolome De Las Casas was a Dominican priest who came to the New World to convert the Indians to become Christians. He spent forty years on Hispanolia and nearby islands, and saw how the Spaniards brutally treated the Indians and sympathized with them. The Devastation of the Indies was an actual eyewitness account of the genocide by Las Casas, and his group of Dominican friars in which he demonizes the Spanish colonists and praises the Indians. Father Las Casas returned to Seville, where he published his book that caused an on going debate on whether the suppression of the Indians corrupted the Spaniards' values. What Las Casas was trying to achieve was the notion of human rights, that human beings are free and cogent by nature without the interference of others.
... god. Religious meeting were held in secrecy in the homes of members of the church, mainly female members of the church. Amalia risked her freedom by holding a meeting in her home. (p232) Both the Ladinos and the Indians believed that they were being punished by their gods for the sufferings they experienced. The Mayans believed that they were being punished by their gods for the suffering their people were experiencing at the hands of the Europeans. “They came, who were destined to come; haughty and hard of manner and strong of voice, such were the instruments of our chiding”. (Castellanos, year, p 56) The religious rites and customs practised by the indigenous people were constructed by Europeans as “lies and deceptions which the devil had invented” (Tignor et al 2002, p97) They were to worship only the Christian God instead of bowing to their many idols.
Finally, when it came down to the types of ceremonies and views both civilizations had, they were on two different pages. The Natives believed happiness was the key to good fortune. So, in order to get that fortune, they’d do sacrifices, and rituals to please the “mighty ones”. Then, as stated in the book “A History of Latin America”, it says, “Jews publicly converted to Christianity to avoid the torture…”, In which, this showed how religion and the spiritual views were forced upon people in the Spanish civilization.
Columbus appears to be a dreamer. His goals were selfish and his true knowledge weak. He was deceitful and egotistical and knew how to manipulate others. Throughout his writings he refers to the things that ‘he’ accomplished, as if he had done them alone. He lied almost daily to the sailors according to his journal when he stated “less than the true number” (Halsall) of leagues travelled each day was reported to them. He spoke of an abundance of gold he found in the islands when he wrote “the majority [of rivers]…contain gold” (Belasco and Johnson 82). According to his journal entries, he only observes the existence of gold two times and both times it is seen hanging from a man’s nose. For example, on October 17 he encounters a man that had “hanging at his nose a piece of gold half as big as a castellailo” (Halsall), about a half pound in weight. Although he was told about gold and searched for gold, he never procured any. Additionally, he had a very high opinion of himself and was not hesitant in letting others know this. In his initial Journal writing he announces himself to be “Don” (Halsall), that’s like saying ‘I’m the head man.’ Furthermore, he let the King and Queen know that his proclaimed distinction was to be passed to his oldest son, including governorship of islands and lands he finds on his journey. He appears to think that what once belonged to native islanders, will belonged to him.
The oppression from the Spanish born was so hated, that when the new country of Mexico created its Constitution, they decided to outlaw slavery completely in their new country. This was not a foreign idea. Some of the countries of Europe had already begun to do the same. Now along with the idea of no slavery, the Mexican people decided to adopt the Catholic Religion as their national faith. This is because their mother country, Spain, which had created them, was a Catholic Country and it was what they knew and practiced.
Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513 discovered Florida and was later met by a southern Indian tribe that would cut Leon’s triumphant moment short. A second attempt to colonize in America was led unsuccessful by Panfilo de Norvaez in 1528. Many men were lost at sea and others were among the Indian people. The first Spanish expedition in 1539 to what would later be known as Florida was an invasion that would be soon attacked twice by natives. Herman de Soto and his group of men in 1542 were defeated along with the rest of the Spanish attempts. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was another explorer in 1540 that attempted to bring back any rare goods to Spain. The army traveled through the southwest and to the Great Plains, returning empty-handed.
Over the following century, both the Spanish and French established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. In 1559, Spanish Pensacola was established by Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano as the first European settlement in the continental United States, but it had become abandoned by 1561 and would not be reinhabited until the 1690s. French Huguenots founded Fort Caroline in modern-day Jacksonville in 1564, but the fort was conquered by forces from the new Spanish colony of St. Augustine the following year. After Huguenot leader Jean Ribault had learned of the new Spanish threat, he launched an expedition to sack the Spanish settlement; en route, however, severe storms at sea waylaid the expedition, which consisted of most of the colony's men, allowing St. Augustine founder Pedro Menéndez de Avilés time to march his men over land and conquer Fort Caroline. Most of the Huguenots were slaughtered, and Menéndez de Avilés marched south and captured the survivors of the wrecked French fleet, ordering all but a few Catholics executed beside a river subsequently called Matanzas (Spanish for 'killings'). The Spanish never had a firm hold on Florida, and maintained tenuous control over the region by converting the local tribes, briefly with Jesuits and later with Franciscan friars. The local leaders (caciques) demonstrated their loyalty to the Spanish by converting to Roman Catholicism and welcoming the Franciscan priests into their villages.
The Spanish built Fort San Felipe on Parris Island in 1566 and made the new settlement there, known as Santa Elena *http://www.cla.sc.edu/sciaa/staff/depratterc/archse1.html*, the capital of La Florida Province. In 1576, under attack from Native Americans, Santa Elena was abandoned, but the fort was rebuilt the next year. The English also posed a threat. A decade later, after Sir Francis Drake had destroyed St. Augustine, the Spanish decided to concentrate their forces there. With the withdrawal from Santa Elena to St. Augustine in 1587, South Carolina was again left to the Native Americans until the English established the first permanent European settlement at Albemarle Point on the Ashley River in 1670.
A famous bishop of Hippo, St. Augustine, contributes significantly to the foundational establishment and growth of Western Christianity. While Christianity is becoming central to people’s lives, it is also known to be one major cause of the Romans’ downfall. The Romans argue that the God the Christians believe in has failed to uphold the city from falling apart. These background conditions, set up chaotic circumstances that significantly impact his early life. He begins to question everything and recklessly lives a sinful life until one day he encounters Christ. As a person who greatly repents from the world of corruptive morals, Augustine’s worldview is significantly influenced by his discovery about who God is and the redemption He offers.
After Leaving Puerto Rico in early March 1513, he sailed northwest to eventually find land that he thought was an island. This island had been the discovery of Florida and then he landed in the vicinity of Saint Augustine. After landing near Saint Augustine, Ponce de Leon claimed the land for Spain. While in the region of Saint Augustine, he had encountered the natives that were living there. He had quickly realized that they were fierce and to settle there, they would need to bring in forces. After several expeditions ended with the death or some other disaster, King Philip II decided that colonizing Florida was not worth it. The king’s men had died from an attack from the Natives and diseases. Therefore, the explorations of Florida came to an end. Thus, the French swooped in and wanted to make Florida theirs, a man named Jean Ribault led the expedition to Florida. The French settled on St. Johns River and built Fort Caroline. The French had traded with the Saturiba tribe for food. When King Philip II found out about Ribault landing in Florida, he sent Pedro Menendez de Aviles, to get rid of the French and to settle there. Menendez docked at Saint Augustine, on August 28, 1565, and on September 6, 1565. However, to the Seloy tribe, it wasn’t a town called Saint Augustine; instead, it was called Seloy. After Menendez landed, the life of the Natives of Seloy was never the same
The first Catholic priests came to South America with the conquistadors and through social and political force superimposed 16th century Catholicism upon conquered peoples and in subsequent generations upon slaves arriving in the New World. Catholicism has, likewise, frequently absorbed, rather than confronted, popular folk religious beliefs. The resulting religion is often overtly Catholic but covertly pagan. Behind the Catholic facade, the foundations and building structure reflect varying folk religious traditions. (2)