England And Spain: Conquering America

This essay will examine how England and Spain successfully dominated world affairs through conquering America. By taking advantage of the abundance of agricultural produce and mineral extracts that came from the American land, the Spanish and English were able to bring their homeland economic wealth thus resulting in significant political influence over other nations. Being far more advanced than the other European countries who were trying to imperialize the land, the Spanish and English’ advances economically, socially, politically, technologically, and culturally quickly allowed them to become America’s “Charter Society”.

A “Charter Society” is a group of people to come to an area first and establish the rules for other groups who arrive
later to follow. (p.51 Gjerde) Although the Native Americans had established a way of living and were the first group occupying America, their lack of advancements in such categories caused their society to fall under the rule of Spanish and English ideologies. The Native Americans were a group of people with dreams and visions. Native Americans didn’t have a religion, but they had their own rituals and language. Instead of praying to a God and ask for guidance, they exerted things that made them hallucinate. Through this hallucination, that gave them visions that old them what to do. They were sitting in a sweat lodge that made them dehydrated which lead to hallucination. It was also a cleanse for their bodies and their spirits. They also did what was called a sun dance that was a fertility rite for all living things. (Lecture March 6th: 2017)

The Spanish and English took over by creating large colonies with small English villages fortified with walls to keep the Native Americans at a distance. Both Spain and England destroyed the native villages, virtually pushing them westward. They also brought diseases with them that the Native population had no immunity to which lead to a lot of Indians dying. The diseases they infected the Natives with were Chicken pox, influenza, measles etc.
The Europeans also honored themselves for their faith to God, and another religion or even not a religion at all was not acceptable for them. They completely took over the charter
Society that the natives had and it became a demographic catastrophe for the Indians. “The conditions they faces were extreme, while their aboriginal status, tribal structure, and segregation from white society set them apart from European immigrants. Still, one way of
Understanding the Indian struggle with their English conquerors is to trace their transformation from independent tribal peoples into America’s first ethnic groups” (p-57 Gjerde) Between 1620 –1780 a minimum of 600.000 people immigrated to America. They arrived to the British colonies that later became the United States of America. In the year of 1730 there were 650.000 people who had immigrated to the colonies, and this number is exclusive the Native Americans. (p.57 Gjerde)
Economically
After the Spanish and Europeans heard of silver and gold being in abundance in the Americas, they were eager to travel there and explore what the land had to offer. To their advantage, the English and Spanish economies were able to flourish by the exploitation of both land and labor. These economies were greatly impacted by the mining of gold and silver and since gold was a primary mineral mined in the New World; conquered Native Americans were given quotas of gold

that they had to bring to the Spaniards as rent.
The Spanish also benefited by importing African slaves to mine the silver and work on sugar plantations for basically free labor, which was very beneficial since labor was scarce and expensive. At this time, the fur trade also became important. The French people were really focusing on the fur trade, which meant working with the Native Americans. It was the Native Americans job to go and hunt the animals for the French people. The fur did not only keep them warm, it also became very fashionable to wear fur. As a “payment” to the Indians for helping them to hunt the animals they got weapons, corn, squash and fabric. (Lecture March 8th
:2017)

The English economy was heavily influenced by mercantilism, a form of economic nationalism that set them apart from other nations. Their national policy caused the growth of their economy at the expense of any others. Unlike the other European countries who couldn't clearly grasp this concept, the English used this idea to advance by creating a system that brought cheap raw materials from the colonies, processing them in England resulting in the limiting of imports on foreign finished goods that would annihilate the balance of trade. Their policies limiting foreign imports made mercantilism a difficult to adapt in nations like France, The United Provinces of the Netherlands, the Austrian Empire and the German principalities and States who were interconnected economies dictated by political affiliations.
Little returns from colonial ventures did not inspire the support of the French public. Tax evasion had also been legitimized in France with the nobility and clergy. This implied the wealthy of France who had more to give withheld a large amount of capital from the

government and the financial burden of the government fell on to the 3rd Estate (The common class).
The English also had their privateers and pirates who were willing to steal Spanish riches and Spain had the conquistadores while other societies like the Germans, Scotts, Africans and Amerindians lacked such a belligerent merchant class.
With these economic advancements, the Spanish and English were able to excel in other areas as well.

Socially
By far the worst war for all Native American people after 1500 was the war against alien diseases that invaded more stealthily, quickly, and pervasively than the accompanying Europeans.

Technologically
The Native Americans used a bow and arrow to hunt and battle but this method was no match for the Spanish and English’s steel weapons. This was not the only thing the Native Americans were behind on technologically speaking; they farmed slower, lacked proper roads and traveling systems, their villages and houses were not as strongly built, and they
Ships brought colonists and supplies to the new world. Shipbuilders had the technical knowledge to build and sail these vessels and they had navigational aids such as the compass and charts to help them find their way. The colonists brought with them hand tools, plows, domesticated animals, clothing, and firearms— items which comprised a technical system. (p.41
Gjerde)

politically

culturally

Conclusion:
The Spanish and English became the Charter Society because they not only were able to see the many benefits they would get from their imperial conquests, but knew that to seize opportunities that presented themselves would able them to dominate world affairs. While the rest of Europe was enmeshed in intense power struggles the Spanish dominated the Atlantic by conquering weak armies and the English dominated European affairs through colonial acquisitions. The Native Americans were pushed to the side and forced to become imperialized by these stronger and smarter nations.