Similarities And Differences Between The Spanish And English Colonies

Directly following the start of the Commercial Revolution in the 1400s, Spain and England began to colonize the Americas, which was often referred to as the New World.The Spanish and English colonies were both similar and different in several ways. The Spanish and English colonies were slightly alike in the poor and unfair treatment of indigenous people and substantially different in religion and economic base.
The Spanish and English were slightly comparable in terms of treatment of indigenous people because of enslavement of native people and taking their land. The Spanish and English were alike in terms of the enslavement of native groups. Upon arrival in the New World, the Spanish immediately started to enslave the native people of the …show more content…
The colonies differed greatly in economy.When the Spanish came to the New World, the phrase, “God, Gold, and Glory” became popular. This was a simplification of the Spanish goals hoping to be reached during their time in the New World. First, “God” signifies the conversion of the natives to Catholicism. Second,“Gold” means that the conquistadors wanted to acquire bullion, or gold and silver, to further increase the wealth of Spain. Finally, “Glory” means that the colonists were hoping to achieve great personal deeds that would translate into renown for themselves. The Spanish economy centered around bullion. The conquistadors searched their new land for gold and silver and also forced the Indians into slavery to mine and gather bullion upon arrival. Without slave labor, the colonization of the Spanish colonies would have proved impossible. On the other hand, the economic base of the English colonies mostly revolved around subsistence farming, meaning one only farmed enough to support themselves and their family. The Spanish and English colonies were also different in terms of economic goals. As for Spain, the main reason for travelling to the New World was to create wealth. The Spanish did not plan or hope to establish permanent colonies in the Americas, but rather to find the coveted wealth and return to the Old World. Meanwhile, the English focused more on expanding into the New World with successful permanent settlements than finding wealth. The Spanish and New England colonies were slightly similar and substantially different in terms of their economic bases. The colonies were similar because both the Spanish and New England colonies traded their surpluses with the Old World for crops or other useful goods that the colonists had in scarcity. The Spanish and New England colonies were substantially different in terms of economic