Compare And Contrast Spain And Portugal

A notable aspect of history during the 15th century was the emergence of two of the greatest European empires: Spain and Portugal. Their curiosity for what lay beyond the vast seas of the Atlantic is responsible for the world in which we live today. As these empires embarked on their journey overseas, their accidental discovery of the New World yielded many profitable resources. European colonization of the American began with the Spanish landing in the islands of the Caribbean and the Portuguese landing on the coast of Brazil. Upon setting foot in the new world, the Spanish and Portuguese empires displayed similarities and differences in goals of colonization, colonial policies toward the Native Americans, and economic gains.

When Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas, it eventually became apparent that he did not arrive in Japan – his intended destination. Instead, Columbus’s accidental discovery was an opportunity for Spain to enhance its wealth and prestige (Martin
Many indigenous people were forced into labor, which disrupted native agriculture. Additionally, diseases played a significant role in the decline of native population. Influenza and bacterial infections affected not only the natives, but also the Spaniards (Martin & Wasserman, 67). In 1542, new laws were established in order to put an end to the enslavement of the natives. Nevertheless, the Spaniards still relied on the labor of the natives to assist them in building the colonies. Instead, the Spaniards relied on the newly developed system of encomiendas, which were legal labor systems that was developed in order to reduce the abuse of forced labor (“Encomienda”).

During the Portuguese colonization of Brazil, King João granted captaincies to donatários. These captaincies were detrimental for the natives in Brazil, as the donatários disrupted their simple barter