The Objectives Of The Spanish And British Colonizers - Case Study Example

The Objectives Of The Spanish And British Colonizers Britain and Spain were among several powerful Western European countries that were involved in the exploration of the New Lands. Columbus initiated the trend, through which in search of the Spice Islands off the coast of China, discovered a new world. The first action of explorers into this land was in search of wealth and, while metal wealth was not immediately discovered in the Caribbean, it was to be discovered later in mainland America (Elliott 13). Britain was enticed to lay a claim to these lands for itself, claiming North America and reaping the benefits of early trading posts. The two nations participated in colonization of the Americas, although they were driven by different agendas as dictated by their environment. Comparisons made between the two as far as patterns of colonization demonstrate the existence of significant differences. There were similarities, such as the use of the New Lands to further their mercantile ideologies. Both also ravaged the native peoples of the Americas, which set on course cultural destruction and disruption. However, both nations would lose their colonies by the early 19th century as independent settler communities were established. How were their objectives for finding these settlements similar or different? The objectives of the Spanish and British colonizers were starkly different apart from their goal of advancing their mercantile ideologies. The Spanish colonized and settled in the New Lands primarily as conquerors with the political system that they set up being entirely autocratic and centered on furthering the Spanish motherland (Elliott 37). After they had conquered the lands, they proceeded to loot vast resources. Spain viewed the new lands that it colonized as an object whose only use was for the furthering of its mercantile objectives. This was evident in the large number of ships that travelled from Spanish America to Spain laden with gold, silver, and other valuables. Since it was their sole objective, Spain gave minimal rights of self-rule to their colonies, instead dictating the policies governing them from the Spanish mainland (Elliott 38). The British settled peacefully rather than as conquerors into the new Lands. They migrated to these lands with the sole objectives of economic opportunity, political freedom, and independence. Because England had a long tradition of partial representation, their colonies were able to achieve some self-government with a form of assembly that was representative of the settlers. Why did they choose the locations for their first towns? What criticisms have been directed toward their selection of these sites by present-day scholars? The first town established by the British was Jamestown in Virginia in 1607 by the Virginia Company of London, a joint-stock company chartered by James I. They chose this location in the hope of reaping quick profits from the settlements followed by liquidation of the company in the next few years (Elliott 40). In Jamestown, the colonists were able to enjoy similar rights to Englishmen as guaranteed by the Virginia Company charter. The town’s establishment had the short-term goal of reaping revenue from the British settlements in the Americas. In contrast, the first towns in the Spanish colony at Hispaniola had longer-term goals. Established in 1493 by Columbus, its purpose was the division of profits and a launch pad for further American exploration. This purpose became even more entrenched when they discovered vast metallic minerals in the New Lands. When the town and its surrounding colony were unable to give the desired revenues, Columbus as governor instituted encomienda, a policy where natives were granted land to convert to Christianity (Elliott 41). The towns fulfilled their purpose as exploration bases with numerous expeditions leaving the towns for the Americas. What was the population composition of these settlements in terms of gender, educational background or training, and socio-economic status? The British settlers lived and worked alongside non-violent native tribes. Peacetime conditions and trade was negotiated with these natives through the signing of treaties. The British also moved into their settlements with their families and intermarriage with natives was rare. In addition, they were tolerant towards other faiths, especially due to the desire by Christian minorities such as Catholics and Puritans to escape England and the dominance held by the Church of England (Elliott 51). The British recruited colonists from middle class farmers, specialists in sectors such as lumbermen, indentured servants, and convicted criminals. They were also welcoming of those who moved there from other countries. The Spaniards, however, moved to the New Lands without their wives and children and intermarried with native tribes. They enforced their culture on these tribes by destroying their language and art while also insisting on conversion to Christianity with emphasis on Catholicism. The settlements were mainly made up of missionaries, soldiers, and conquistadors with the traders and farmers arriving later (Elliott 52). Finally, only a small proportion of the settlement was made up of pureblooded and elite Spaniards. In what ways, did the settlers succeed or fail in their efforts to continue the ways of life they knew in Europe? Both Spanish and British colonial settlements in the New Lands ended with independence for the colonial settlers from their mainland European rulers. The British settlement was able to replicate a civilization akin to that on mainland Britain. Most of them, just as in Britain, were mainly Protestants and carried the same view as the Church of England (Elliott 60). Since they were able to begin the settlements with their families together with other families from Britain, this led to most settlements being white. The Spaniards also attempted to recreate a Spanish-like settlement in the New Lands. Unlike the British, however, they travelled to the lands without their families and, therefore, tried to influence the natives to become Spanish. Most of the natives became Catholics, creating the population known as Mestizo. However, different from mainland Spain, they came up with the caste system where pureblood Spaniards were at the top and natives at the bottom. In this case, they were not able to replicate their homeland (Elliott 61). The British colonial settlements were marked by several acts of rebellion. A colonist by the name of Nathaniel Bacon led the British-American settler farmers against Virginia’s ruling class in the late 17th century. This led to independence, although the settlers maintained a British form of society (Elliott 63). However, the Spanish colonialists saw fewer uprisings in their settlements. One of the reasons why there were fewer uprisings was because the Spanish settlers and colonialists depended on the Spanish government for protection from native tribes, especially the Indians. However, even after the Spanish settlers achieved independence, as a result, the inter-cultural exchanges with the natives they fell short of replicating the Spanish way of life. Works Cited Elliott, John. Empires of the Atlantic world : Britain and Spain in America 1492-1830. New Haven : Yale Univ. Press , 2007. Print. Read More