Preview

Spanish Colonies in New World

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1087 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Spanish Colonies in New World
The Spanish settlements in the American Southwest in New England of the seventeenth century can be contrasted in primarily two ways. First, their politics were based on entirely different ruling classes and systems of government. Second, they employed different avenues of economic development.

The Spanish settlements began with Cortes and others conquering the Native Americans of South, Central, and parts of Southwestern North America. After eradicating a large portion of the Native American population, the Spanish began to intermarry into the Native American gene pool. Consequently, only portions of the population were pureblooded Spaniards. These Spaniards occupied the highest social and political status. Those from Spain were one step above those born in the New World while those of mixed or Indian heritage were at the bottom of the social ladder. Additionally, because the Spanish came as conquerors, the resulting political system was entirely autocratic and solely devoted to the furthering of the motherland. Immediately after conquering the Native Americans, the Spanish looted large amounts of gold, silver, and other valuables. This tradition continued into the seventeenth century as Spanish ships would come annually to bring gold and other valuables back to Spain. In this way, Spain viewed Spanish America as an object useful only for its mercantilist objectives. Since mercantilism was its only objective, Spain gave its colonies little self-rule. Instead, Spanish rulers dictated all the policies of its New World territories.
The Spanish settlements in the American Southwest and the English colonies in New England of the seventeenth century can be contrasted in primarily two ways. First, their politics were based on entirely different ruling classes and systems of government. Second, they employed different avenues of economic development.

The Spanish settlements began with Cortes and others conquering the Native Americans of South, Central, and parts of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    APUSH DBQ sample

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The years 1607 and 1629 saw the start of two English colonies in the New World-first Jamestown and then the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Both were mainly populated by people of English origin, and yet the differences between the two colonies were significant and evident. As they evolved, the two colonies developed contrasting economies, societies, and institutions. These major differences can be traced to the varying motives for colorizations, the types of settlers, the geography and climate of the new world, and the different philosophies and views of the colonies.…

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Beginning in 1492 when the Spanish under the crown of Castile invaded the Americas, where their first settlement was in Santo Domingo, their main motivations were trade and the spread of the Catholic faith through indigenous conversions and economic gain. Due to these objectives they intervened and attempted to change every facet of the indigenous way of life including their ‘notions of spirituality, witchcraft, and intoxication’. The indigenous population had formally been removed from the jurisdiction of the inquisition by order of King Phillip the second in 1571, however the native people of Mexico and other invaded lands of the Americas were still prosecuted on accounts of witchcraft or being Nauatil (witches).…

    • 1081 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ever science the 1629 people have been setting out to come to America. However, just because many people came together to live in one place doesn’t mean they lived similarly. In fact New England and the Southern Colonies lived much differently from each other. Some of these differences are economic, political, and their Social.…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Latin America was mostly untouched by the European world until 1492, when the Spanish where looking for a cheaper way to obtain the goods from the Exotic East. Galeano even goes on to speculate that even earlier explorers could have visited thus creating the religions and gods that the native tribes worshipped (pg. 17). These Spanish explorers came looking for new goods and spices, and when they saw that these natives had bits of metal upon them and inquired after them discovered that gold and silver were in abundance here. Thus began the Spanish Conquistadors reign begin in Latin America, though out numbered 10 to 1, the Spanish steadily moved out. The technology gaps between these two worlds was astounding, as Columbus earlier noted, “They knew nothing of swords, and when these were shown to them they grasped the sharp edges and cut themselves.” Along with gunpowder, full metal armor, and most importantly horses the Spanish were able to decimate and terrorize most opposing forces that they encountered. “The conquests shattered the foundations of these civilizations” (pg. 43), afterwards almost every major native city and been sacked and looted along with the natives being indentured or killed. The mines that were established created the greatest displacement of the native people; it forced them into grueling labor and…

    • 1078 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    APUSH Essay Qs 1980 07

    • 8795 Words
    • 56 Pages

    Analyze the differences between the Spanish settlements in the Southwest and the English colonies in New…

    • 8795 Words
    • 56 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    America in the 1700s was a big melting pot however the Chesapeake and New England regions were made up mainly of people of English origin. Even though the settlers came from the same place their societies evolved in two different directions. The cause of Chesapeake and New England’s road into two distinct societies is due to many economic, social, religious, and geographical reasons.…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Picture a vast scope stretching from the Red River Basin to the Plains of Colorado to the Arkansas River to the Rio Grande. Envision the diverse groups of Natives that live on the land peacefully. Imagine the golden Pueblos of the Acoma Indians, the Hogan huts of the Navajo, and the wiki-ups of the Lipan. Then imagine this picturesque view shattered by European imperialism. The Europeans during the 16th and 17th centuries took several different approaches to the New World. The French saw potential business and trading partners, the English sought territory to expand their empire, and the Spanish were much more complex. The Spanish made one purposeful thrust into the New World in the 16th century to claim the industrious Natives as subjects of the Crown and Church. A century later, the Spanish returned to the New World. The Spanish unleashed forces of change that changed the lives of the native people throughout the arena that the Anglo-Americans call the Southwest. The Spanish affected the culture and structure of the Southwest by way of religion, architecture, and agriculture and livestock. This culture shock in the Southwest by means of…

    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    New England Vs Chesapeake

    • 1162 Words
    • 5 Pages

    New England and the Chesapeake region were very influential in the founding and prosperity of the United States. Both were founded by English explorers and both were able to thrive because of the determination and bravery of Englishmen. But even with these similarities, by the 1700’s, the settlements were drastically different. The New England settlement turned into an aristocratic colony focused on the belief in God and religious freedom while the Chesapeake region turned into agricultural society with men who also were seeking gold. When the settlers reached New England they were focused in starting a colony with a great sense of community and religion. The majority of people who went to New England…

    • 1162 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the early 16th century and into the early 17th century, European colonies rapidly colonized the newly found Americas. England in particular sent large groups to the east coast of North America to two separate regions, which would later become known as the Chesapeake and New England areas. The Chesapeake region included Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the New Jerseys. The New England region of the colonies included Rhode Island, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony, New Haven, and Connecticut. Eventually in the late 1700’s these two regions would come together to form one nation. Both regions were very different and did not share many common ideas. They were different in their views and beliefs on religion, economy, and motives for colonial expansion.…

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Spain, the most powerful monarchy in Europe and the Americas, wished to enrich themselves with the New World’s natural resources. After enslaving indigenous peoples in the Caribbean and the southern parts of the Americas to grow crops and mine for gold, silver, and other valuables, the Spanish moved into North America where they concentrated their efforts in what is now the southwestern and southeastern United States. But even the most cooperative Indians continued to maintain their own religious and cultural traditions, and many priests concluded that the Indians were inferior and incapable of understanding Christianity. Indigenous populations declined over the seventeenth century as epidemics brought by the Spanish killed large numbers of natives.…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ap Us

    • 2478 Words
    • 10 Pages

    1. Analyze the differences between the Spanish settlements in the Southwest and the English colonies in New England in the seventeenth century in terms of…

    • 2478 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Assignment: Analyze the differences between the Spanish settlements in the Southwest and the French settlements in New France in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in terms of TWO of the following: • Politics • Religion • Economic development! • Native American relations…

    • 573 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The New England colonies and the Southern colonies are slightly similar in some aspects, but drastically different in most. For example the new england colonies were strictly puritan and they did not tolerate any other religion but the southern colonies were not dominated by a single religion which gave way to more liberal attitudes and some religious freedom. The economy of New England was powered mostly the manufacturing in factories, whereas the Southern colonies’ economies were more agriculturally based. The social structures were different, because the New England colonies didn’t believe in slavery, so the social ladders were not the same. Religious tolerance was another major difference in these two regions. Overall the New England and Southern colonies are slightly similar, but their differences set them apart from each other.`…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Known for its cultural diversity, tropical climate and agricultural lands, Guatemala is also home to economic unbalance, political corruption and severe gang wars. Guatemala is a developing country with a population of sixteen million inhabitants, which makes it the most populated country in Central America. Approximately seventy six percent (twelve million) of the population of Guatemala lives under the poverty line and expresses no trust in the police. (Taft-Morales) Guatemala is considered one of the most dangerous nations in the world with a rate of 34 homicides per 100,000 people.…

    • 1740 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The British and Spanish started their colonies at different time periods and had different political goals in mind. Britain’s thirteen colonies lasted from 1607-1783 before independence. British colonists traveled to the Americas and found land and wildlife they could take advantage of new jobs. On the other hand, the Spanish colonies reigned from 1492-1825. Their main motivation for colonization was the acquisition of gold and silver. Furthermore, both the British and Spanish empires had a negative effect on the native populations. Colonists from Britain continuously alienated indigenous peoples. They took over their land and decimated large numbers of their…

    • 530 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays