European Colonization Essay

European Colonization It was said in Romans 8:31 “If God is with us, who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” To any follower of Christ living in sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe, the answer to this question was no one. Europe believed that God gave them superiority and aid in their conquests and colonization of both Native American and African land. The three key factors that secured Europe’s domination of the New World were their technological superiority, impact on the environment, and capitalist orientation. One of the keys that led to European rule in the New World was their enormous impact on environment. When Europe exchanged its goods with the Native Americans and Africans, a significant change was made throughout the land. Indians “integrated European goods into their traditional practices, breaking up brass pots, for example, into small pieces that could be made into jewelry” (Of the People: A History of the United States Vol. 1). Diseases, such as smallpox and measles, were the results domestic trades and exposure among the Europeans. De Sahagun claims when “the Spaniards left Mexico, there came an illness of which many local people died; it was called “the great rash” (De Sahagun). These illnesses opened a door for the Europeans to conquer, since they were the carriers of these germs “Mrs. Cole lecture). Their strong sense of national competition (Of the People: A History of the United States Vol. 1) that came with mercantilism philosophy and their exposure to new diseases from different ethnic groups, Europeans held clear advantage over world trade (Mrs. Cole lecture) and different environments in the New World.
Another key to Europe’s success in New World domination came from their technological superiority. Europe used advanced forms of weaponry, such as cannons, crossbows, and cannons, to destroy any forms of Indian opposition. From the journal of Spanish soldier Bernal Diaz, he claimed “with our muskets