Essay On Spanish Colonization

Superior Essays
Spanish Conquest and Colonisation in Central America turned the Natives into slaves and peasants. When the Spanish Imperialised Central America during the 15th to 16th century, the Spanish took rule over Central America. The Spanish completely changed the lives of most Native Central Americans. This was because the Spanish treated the Natives poorly with unfair taxes and harsh laws; the Natives were forced to work under Spain’s crown and church; and the Natives were forced to turn Christian. The Native Central Americans were under control of the Spanish rule.

When the Spanish came to power in Central America, the Natives were treated poorly. This is justified because Sheppard Software quotes, “The original Americans were often forced to
…show more content…
These slaves were forced to work for the Spanish throne. This is justified as Britannica explains, “Their goal was to create a local peasant class; indigenous people were missionized, relocated, and forced to work for the Spanish crown and church (Britannica).” This indicates that when the Spanish were colonising Central America, their intention was to create an underclass that would work for the Spanish crown and church. The natives would not be able to have their own shops and businesses. The Natives in central america would be treated like slaves with no freedom, they would become workforce in different areas for the Spanish. This allowed the spanish to become even more wealthy and have faster production speeds. Leah S. Glaser also comments that “the natives were forced to work in harsh conditions like mines, rich European’s homes, and on big plantations called encomienda (Leah S. Glaser).” This further explains that the Spanish would send natives to would work in different areas the Spanish empire pleased. Usually these work areas would be in harsh environments; for example, mines and on plantations. Also, the Spanish would enslave the natives and sell them to wealthy Spanish men and women. Before they sell the slaves to others, they would make sure they had no different beliefs than themselves. Therefore, the natives would be forced to become a Christian; if they refused, they would be killed by the

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    After Columbus ' discovery of the Americas, Spain reaped the benefits of this New World. More than a century later, Europeans finally took an interest in establishing colonies in North America. King James I of England established Jamestown, made up of men from the Virginia Company, in Virginia in 1607. Soon after, England established several new colonies along the Atlantic Coast. While Spain and British colonization efforts both began with the goal of finding new wealth, they differed in their religious aspects and their treatment of the native people.…

    • 1255 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1. What was Native American society like before European contact? What similarities and difference existed? The indigenous peoples of what is now the United States were split into countess tribes, practiced a variety of religions and traditions, and developed different ways of life in different environments across North America.…

    • 1457 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This quote, taken from the writings of a Dominican priest, only scratches the surface of the relationship between the Natives and the Spanish. “The Indians [of hispaniola] were totally deprived of their freedom and…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Furthermore, in 1519, Spanish-Bishop Juan de Quevedo declared all Native Americans being slaves by nature because they were inferior to society (Ojibwa). During European-Indian battles, Native Americans were frequently conquered because of their lack of advanced weaponry and manpower. This result yielded many war captives and consequently being forced into harsh labor. Europeans also enslaved many indigenous groups because it produced enormous wealth via the mid-Atlantic slave trade (McCarthy). Initially, explorers were not looking to build several colonies containing a surplus population, rather they wanted to extract wealth from lands they discovered (McCarthy).…

    • 1539 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Due to the fact that the Native Americans that worked for the Spanish landowners we not able to keep up “the output of the mines or the plantations” the Native American labour was replaced with enslaved Africans people many of whom were taken brutally (Slavery Contract). In order to keep up with the raising demand of crops and materials, there began an increase in plantations and mines which eventually lead to the increase of slaves that were traded across the Atlantic. The slaves, for the most part, were shipped to Europe, before being transported to the Americas. Sugar was among many of the heavily grown crops in Spanish America as they imported “8000 slaves per year” to cultivate this crop (Slavery Contract). The slaves, however, that laboured in the mines were intended to collect materials “where gold and silver could be” located (Slavery Contract).…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    One reason for this was the enforcement of Spanish rule, and the dependency the conquest had on the Native peoples; Restall explains that “Spanish settlers depended upon native communities to build and sustain their colonies with tribute, produce and labor” (128). Being a conquistador meant striving to receive an encomienda, “a grant of native tribute and labor” - and this was the ultimate form of slavery for the Indigenous peoples. Furthermore, the second reason for the exploitation of the very victims of the Conquest was the need for survival; as Restall writes, “[Native peoples] tenaciously sought ways to continue local ways of life and improve the quality of life even in the face of colonial changes and challenges” (129). While it was common for Native peoples to demonstrate extreme resistance to the Spaniards when immediately encountered, there were other kinds of defensive strategies. One type of defensive strategy was done through the adaptation of Spanish culture as a way to ‘cover’ and preserve their original practices and systems.…

    • 1559 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a result of new contacts among Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas, social and economic transformations occurred in the Atlantic world from 1492 to 1750. Many social changes occurred in these regions as a result of new contacts. Economic changes had great effects on West Europe, Africa, and the Americas during the time period, 1492-1750. The social and economic transformations that occurred were created by the initiation of European expeditions by Spain and Portugal.…

    • 1889 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Hernan Cortes Dbq Essay

    • 1450 Words
    • 6 Pages

    On the sandy shores of Mexico in 1519, Hernan Cortes strode off of his ship and stepped into unfamiliar territory. Around the small group of conquistadors was a half-naked crowd of native Aztec people – people who thought that Cortes was a messenger from their gods. Little did these so-called savages know, within a few short years millions of their race would be massacred and their way of life would be destroyed. Up and down the coast of the New World, Europeans took advantage of the weaker and naïve natives. The European invasion of the Americas was not only a racial cleansing, but a complete cultural subjugation.…

    • 1450 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Spaniards came to the New World in hopes of finding gold. Once they get here they realize there is not any, and the Spaniards realize they are going to have to work in order to survive and make money. They quickly force the Indian communities to work for them. The treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards was unimaginable and explained thoroughly by Las Casas who was a Dominican priest against this treatment. Religion played a major role in the treatment of the Indians and also later on in the Pueblo Revolt.…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    During the early and mid 1400’s, before colonization, North America was inhabited by an enormous amount of diverse Native American tribes. These tribes were incredibly dispersed across the continent of North America, which resulted in Native Americans populating many different geographical regions. The introduction of settlers from Europe, especially Spain, caused the lives of these Native Americans to transform drastically. When analyzing the history of North American tribes, it is important to note the reasoning behind the susceptibility of Native Americans to European conquest as well as why these tribes were so distinctly unique from one another. After the ice ice age, the climate and geography of North America changed drastically.…

    • 1520 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Essay On Hispanic Culture

    • 1679 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The group I chose to research was the Hispanic culture. I do not know much about the Hispanic culture nor have had much experience working with this culture. Sometimes it can be hard to work with or surround yourself with people when your cultures are not the same, therefore getting to better know the values and customs of a Hispanic will help me to make sure my clients get the most from me Knowing more about the people that I am dealing with is the best way to ensure a good client to counselor relationship. The Hispanic culture is one of the fastest growing cultural groups in the United States. The U.S. Census data indicates that Hispanics will be the largest minority group by the year 2050 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992).…

    • 1679 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Spanish invasion of Mesoamerica in the sixteenth century has been one of their most renowned victories. However, with a review of Restall’s work, as well as a closer look into the help that the Spanish had, reveals that the success of the Spanish was not merely their own. The Spaniards’ and natives’ common political goals, the natives’ army strength, knowledge of the land and the sharing of battle strategies and resources made the native allies a key asset to the conquest. The success of the Spanish conquest was largely dependent on the military support they received from their native allies; the Tlaxcalans especially, along with other native contributors, such as the Teocalhueycan and the Tepaneca.…

    • 1438 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Compare and contrast at least three views of the racial/ethnic hierarchy in colonial Latin America, represented by primary sources studied in this class. Consider how and why the various perspectives differ, how they are similar, and how they shed light on our understanding of race relations in this period. Colonial Latin America was a vast and diverse region, punctuated by profound differences in climate, culture and race. It comprised at its greatest extent: the entirety of the South American continent, Central America, The Caribbean and even parts of North America (Blue Reader maps 4-7). For most of the colonial period, these areas were dominated by two Atlantic facing European nations, Spain and Portugal.…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    England provided ideal circumstances for its colonizing empire. A population spike, religious dissensions, and economic opportunity motivated people to emigrate to the West. National greed, nationalism, and rivalry with Spain led royalty to pursue colonies. The colonizing drive helped provide an essential, much-needed component of imperial mercantilism. Truly, the English incorrectly thought that their imperialism was more “enlightened” than Spain’s conquest for “gold, God, and glory.”…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Contrary to what the infamous Black Legend says, the Spanish conquistadors were not reckless murderers without direction. They had a purpose: colonization. They needed to employ these vicious tactics in order to efficiently fulfill this purpose. The Spanish conquistadors were trailblazers in the most literal sense of the term; for instance, explorer Hernando de Soto and his soldiers tortured, raped, enslaved, and killed countless Indians, destroying almost everything in their path (Mann 6). While it is true that the Spanish conquistadors mistreated the Indians they encountered, and that the encomienda system was essentially slavery, the Spanish weren’t the only Europeans who treated the natives callously.…

    • 1115 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays