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European Colonization
What issues were involved in the European colonization of the New World from 1492-1640? How significant were these issues for the future course of U.S. History?
The world of Columbus, of 1492, may seem like a foreign country as well as another time, when comparing the new American nation of the 18th century to the European world of the 15th century. During the period from 1492-1640, the European powers were obsessed by trade, commodities, and racing to the New World in search of colonial dominion and gold. In contrast, America was interested in founding a new and enclosed national territory. However, Columbus' view of the native peoples, as quoted in Howard Zinns' A Peoples History of the United States illustrate that the initial encounters between Europeans and the natives of the land was to be a continuing limitation upon equitable relations between Anglo and Indian-Americans.
Columbus wrote of the Arawak men and women of his first encounter brining "parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the...
Columbus gleefully noted that the natives "willingly traded everything they owned." (Zinns, 2003) Because trade was the purpose of his mission, Columbus did not view this exchange with any guilt. He viewed the natives as commodities themselves, noting that the natives "were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features," and would make excellent workers and slaves. Most significantly (and despite his reference to spears, which may have been used for hunting rather than violence against other human beings) Columbus noted the natives did not "bear arms," in other words, they did not know the meaning of using swords in military strife, and thus were objects of military conquest, rather than potential adversaries or allies. "For I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane," wrote Columbus. (Zinns, 2003) Rather than marveling at the native's generosity and…
But though Indian resistance was strong Native Americans didn't have effective military organization and Europeans used the tactics of total warfare. Knowing enemy's superiority Indians unleashed guerilla wars but they didn't have any chance to win as they were not united. That was the main reason of Native Americans' failure. Colonists played various Indian tribes against one another as Colin G. Calloway wrote and this Roman strategy succeeded. Very
Ceremonies of Possession/Differences in How America Was Settled Patricia Seed in her book, Ceremonies of Possession, assumes a novel position in regard to the settlement of the New World by the various European powers. Seed's theory is that each of the five main nations involved in the settlement of the New World: England, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands, did so in their own unique way and that these unique ways
Founding European Colonies in the New World Founding of European Colonies in the New World The New World was not founded over night. It was, in fact, a very laborious period where several European colonies worked for centuries to secure a new spot in a virgin territory, filled with natural resources the continent of Europe had never seen before. Early struggles and hardships eventually led to successful colonies which, over time, developed
European history prior and during the age of discovery has had a strong influence on the colonization of the New World and on attitudes adopted on the American continent during the era. Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World in 1492 marked the beginning of a period of cultural exchanges between the two continents. European cultural values slowly but surely pervaded American communities both because some were appealing and because
Imperialism and African Colonization: Imperialism is empire building and occurs when one state is more powerful than the other state's obstacles (such as peoples, geographic obstacles, physical obstacles and technological obstacles) to expansion. Imperialism became a popular cause for the first time in Western countries in the 1890s due to a significant degree by propaganda that sought to make nationalism and imperialism popular (Pieterse par, 2). Towards the end of the
"Some also do grudge at the great increase of people in these days, thinking a necessary brood of cattle far better than a superfluous augmentation of mankind" (Harrison 1586). One way to ease the situation was to induce or force some to settle in the new territories. They would become the workforce in the colonies and reduce the problem back home at the same time. "These petty thieves might