European Colonization Of America

The joining of different civilizations that have come to America has been a long and arduous journey that has caused catastrophes and triumphs along the way. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, various European countries have fought with each other and the natives to gain control over the Americas. This essay will discuss the primary motivation and the various reasons in which each country has competed to explore the unknown lands of America. When Europeans discovered the natives this created the start of the Columbian Exchange, this then led the Europeans including the Spanish, English, and Dutch to have various purposes of exploring new land both as a whole and individually, and the following events that had occurred within each country …show more content…
The Spanish were among the first countries to begin to venture out into this area and claimed much of the region. The Spanish empire’s first phase in the New World was called the age of discovery and exploration. One of the very first Spanish conquistadors, Hernando Cortès, arrived in America in search of gold and along the way had enslaved and killed a majority of the Native Americans through warfare and contamination. Another important phase that followed swiftly afterward was called the age of conquest, in which the Spaniards established their dominance over the natives through military forces. One of the last phases was known as the Ordinances of Discovery, which took place in the 1570s and enforced laws that banned the inhuman military conquests that were occurring among the natives. Many of Spain’s expeditions into America had been independent of the throne, in contrast to England. Spain had become very well-off with the findings of gold and silver in the New World, while the British had been focused on agricultural and trade. Another important characteristic that caused for different patterns of colonization was that the Spanish had a small population, to begin with, and continued to have a vast majority of natives within their Empire. In contrast, the English and Dutch colonies both focused on providing a permanent settlement for the people despite the many challenges that both countries face. Their populations eventually outnumbered the natives living in the area. With Spain as a dominant and overruling force in America, the English were leery at first settling into the New World. In 1588, a critical event occurred between the English and Spanish at sea known as the Spanish Armada. When the English defeated King Philip the II of Spain, this allowed the English to gain much confidence and