Compare And Contrast American Colonization And Spanish Colonization

Both the British and Spanish empires strived to expand their empires in the Americas. They also both have comparable and contrasting political, economic, and social systems. Overall, each empire had different results from their colonial rule.
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
population. Moreover, the Spanish conquest took advantage of indigenous peoples such as the Inca, Maya, and Aztec for labor. Another political aspect is their governmental regimes. The British and Iberian colonies in the Americas reflected the government in their mother country: centralized and absolutist. On the contrary, Spanish rule was controlled by the Habsburg empire, but the colonies were known for objecting to the crown’s laws.
Furthermore, Britain and Spain both adopted mercantilism economics. Colonies in the Americas provided resources and profit for Britain and Spain. The British passed regulatory laws to regulate their economy. A trade system was produced in which American colonists provided raw materials for Britain, and Britain used the raw materials to produce manufactured goods. Additionally, England established the Navigation Acts which were laws that made colonial goods prices more affordable than foreign goods. Another policy England enforces was Salutary Neglect, which kept the American colonies loyal to England. On the other hand, Spanish mercantilism was more complex and strictly enforced. Spain established monopoly ports for tax collection. Unlink the British, the Spanish focused more on bouillon as exports. This dependence precious metals led to inflation and soon they resorted to intra-continental trade rather than transatlantic trade.
Social systems were also significant in the colonies, especially with growing immigration during this time period.
The British immigrated to the Americas as family units as they sought personal freedoms. For the Spanish, men traveled to the colonies instead of communities because conditions were more demanding. Soldiers, officials, and laborers looked for opportunities in the Spanish Americas. Furthermore, the social structure in British America differentiated from the social structure in Spanish America. The British was based on class, but the Spanish colonies had a more complicated system. With the denser indigenous populations in the Spanish Americas, interracial marriages were very common. Consequently, a caste system emerged. Peninsulares were at the top of the class system, followed by the creoles, then castas. In addition, the British had a social system based on class and economics. Wealthy landowners came first in this class system, and followed by merchants and farmers. Also, British America consisted of white people, whereas Spanish America was largely
mixed.
In conclusion, Britain and Spain had different goals and outcomes within their colonization in the Americas. Both had various political, social, and economic systems that made their conquest to the New World successful.