Advantages Of Spanish Colonization

Though the discovery of a westward route to Asia had not been achieved, European explorers made the sagacious decision to capitalize on their alternative findings – the North and South American continents. Settlements within these wilderness lands offered plenty of commercial and political benefits which would eventually have historical ramifications on the world order. Investment into colonization would therefore allow participating European polities to expand their economies and remain competitive on the global stage.
Among the advantages offered by the colonization of the Americas was the creation of subservient indigenous populations. Upon arrival in the New World, Spanish explorers encountered the native Mexica, who were great in numbers, but considerably weaker in military potential. Consequently, the initially peaceful relations between the Spaniards and Native Americans devolved into oppressive tyranny, in which the Spanish forcefully enslaved the Mexica denizens and diluted their established religions with Christianity. In doing so, the Spanish found a highly obtainable and exploitable source of religious converts, slave labor, and political tribute, offering plenty of …show more content…
In response to the dissolving of Parliament by Charles I, William Bradford the English Separatists boarded the Mayflower, and set out for the unknown. Clearly, these Separatists valued their faith – demonstrated by their headstrong willingness to sacrifice their relatively stable lives in England for the uncertainties of the American wilderness. One year later, minister John Winthrop would deliver a renowned sermon on the America-bound Arbella, in which he outlined the Puritans’ mission to live pious lives and “be as a city upon a hill”. Moreover, the theocratic laws instituted in the Massachusetts Bay colony, such as mandatory church attendance, further evidence the New Englanders’ devotion to their