Essay Sample about Colonial America

Colonial America was a broad land settled by Spanish, English, French, and Dutch immigrants with plans to make it their New World. Europeans sought new trade routes to the Indian Ocean and Asia. Sailing west and finding new continents instead, the Europeans soon realized the economic potential of the Americas. Spanish was the first to arrive in the Americas and their arrival and discoveries caused other European countries to want to settle in the Americas. There was already tension between Native Americans and all European colonist because of the impact the Spanish had on them, however different colonist groups would develop different relationships with the Native Americans for different reasons like, territory, religion, and wealth.

The Spaniards arrival caused lots of tension between Native Americans and other colonist. The Spanish conquered America with the goal of spreading the idea of God, gaining gold, and obtaining a larger empire. Spaniards never wanted to settle which was why they only sent conquistadors to America with the task of collecting “their” riches and Spanish missionaries and royal officials forcing Christianity on Native Americans and finding new subjects to the King. This conquest was only beneficial for the Spanish. They were then introduced to the Columbian Exchange, the trading of food, livestock, and diseases from America to Spain and vice versa. This changed the lives for Native Americans tremendously. European diseases such as smallpox and measles were introduced to Native Americans which caused the population to decrease 90%. Spaniards also inflicted the encomienda system upon the Native Americans. After taking all the Native American wealth they enslaved Natives which again, caused the Native American population to collapse. The Native Americans that were left, obviously grew defensive of there land from other colonists, which made it difficult for them to coexist and live together.

The French saw Natives as allies rather than enemies and relied on them for survival tips and fur trade. They even practiced intermarriages and were military allies which was wrong to other colonists. The French did want to convert Natives to Catholicism and Christianity but, not in a controlling way (like the Spaniards) but because like every other European, they felt their religion was superior and should be spread more than the others. Native Americans and French fought in the French and Indian War together against the British colonists. Overall, their more alliances led to a more cooperative relationship between Native Americans and the French.

The British were more focused on permanent communities in North America. They settled in families while other colonists consisted of strictly men. Jamestown, the first successful colony was created based on expansion. The tensions between the Natives and the British colonists grew hostile as the population of British settlers increased and they looked at the Natives land to occupy their growing population and selfish but profitable tobacco farms. The disputes between the land caused the French and Indian War which was over who could occupy the land along the Upper Ohio River. Since Natives and French are military allies, they fought together against the British until British soldiers had to come to America to help fight the war. The British resorted to violence for their own economic gain and created a hostile relationship between them and the Natives.

Overall, where Europeans sought exponential economic, agricultural and religious gain with any cause including forced labor or even physical conflict developed different relationships with Native Americans than with Europeans with the same goals but a more positive approach.