The continent of North America has always been a place of diversity, yet during the colonial age (1450-1750), several events took place that would forever change the course of history. After explorers such as Columbus, Pizarro, and De Soto opened the door to the “New World,” many Europeans began hearing tales of gold, ways to spread religion and territory. This opportunity for vast riches and a new way of living caused many to set claims on the new land. The Spanish, French, and English had many similarities and differences in their purposes for colonizing, relationships with the Indians, and ways of making money. The countries that claimed land in North America had similar ways of colonizing, yet there were many differences among the settlers.
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Spanish conquistadors ruthlessly destroyed many Indian empires while killing innocent people including women, children, kings, and queens. The English colonials were not as harsh on the Indians as the Spanish were during this time, but they had their quarrels. In Jamestown, for instance, Indians constantly attacked the settlement, possibly due the colonists’ ill preparedness. In other colonies such as Plymouth, the English attacked the Indians. Overall, the British did not have a great relationship with their native neighbors, especially compared to the French. French people in Canada relied on harmony with the Indians so many unmarried men chose to marry Indian women to secure peace and to boost the French population that was mostly men. Also, the ratio between Europeans and Indians were low for the French in French settlements which meant that waging war against the tribes would be a very foolish …show more content…
In making money, Spain was like no other because they focused less on making money by colonizing, and more on finding vast riches that did not exist and settling places to prevent other Europeans from living on them. In Spanish-controlled Florida, slaves were forbidden, unlike their Spanish-Caribbean neighbors that led the slave trade globally. It is unclear why Florida had such an opposition to the cruel institution of slavery, but, as a result, many runaway slaves from other colonies originally went to Florida to be freed before it was conquered by the pro-slavery Americans much later. France was much like Spain in that they also did not believe in slavery. The French were the most diplomatic of the three settling nations because they relied on goodwill for survival. Instead of slavery, the French fished and sold beaver pelts to make money with some help from the Indians. They focused on trade and making peace more than any other colonial power. The English were the only North Americans that had slaves. Slaves were first brought to America from Africa in Jameston (Jamestown), Virginia in sixteen nineteen. While the practice of servitude was already instated by the use of indentured servants, slavery was not yet a common institution – especially not for solely black slaves. This all changed when a judge was faced with a runaway white servant and a runaway black servant to either
Spanish conquistadors ruthlessly destroyed many Indian empires while killing innocent people including women, children, kings, and queens. The English colonials were not as harsh on the Indians as the Spanish were during this time, but they had their quarrels. In Jamestown, for instance, Indians constantly attacked the settlement, possibly due the colonists’ ill preparedness. In other colonies such as Plymouth, the English attacked the Indians. Overall, the British did not have a great relationship with their native neighbors, especially compared to the French. French people in Canada relied on harmony with the Indians so many unmarried men chose to marry Indian women to secure peace and to boost the French population that was mostly men. Also, the ratio between Europeans and Indians were low for the French in French settlements which meant that waging war against the tribes would be a very foolish …show more content…
In making money, Spain was like no other because they focused less on making money by colonizing, and more on finding vast riches that did not exist and settling places to prevent other Europeans from living on them. In Spanish-controlled Florida, slaves were forbidden, unlike their Spanish-Caribbean neighbors that led the slave trade globally. It is unclear why Florida had such an opposition to the cruel institution of slavery, but, as a result, many runaway slaves from other colonies originally went to Florida to be freed before it was conquered by the pro-slavery Americans much later. France was much like Spain in that they also did not believe in slavery. The French were the most diplomatic of the three settling nations because they relied on goodwill for survival. Instead of slavery, the French fished and sold beaver pelts to make money with some help from the Indians. They focused on trade and making peace more than any other colonial power. The English were the only North Americans that had slaves. Slaves were first brought to America from Africa in Jameston (Jamestown), Virginia in sixteen nineteen. While the practice of servitude was already instated by the use of indentured servants, slavery was not yet a common institution – especially not for solely black slaves. This all changed when a judge was faced with a runaway white servant and a runaway black servant to either