How Did The English Settlement Differ From The Spanish Settlement

English Colony Development vs. Spanish Settlement Development The English Colonies in New England and the Spanish settlements in the Southwest in the seventeenth century exemplified distinct and different political and religious ideas. The Spanish settlements in the Southwest had a strict political hierarchy within a centralized government deeply influenced by their Catholic faith. The English colonies differed in their decentralized government and religion, following the rules of the Puritans. Settlements and colonies formed by the Spanish and English vastly differed due to their ideals. The Spanish settlements began developing in the mid-1500s when Spanish conquerors, followed by Spanish missionaries, came to North America. Their desire to
Their political structure was highly centralized and hierarchical. The Spanish Crown, Charles I of Spain, mainly dominated this political system. A step down in the hierarchy were the governors of the settlements. These governors were carefully selected and placed by the monarchy. An example of these men is Hernan Cortes, the governor of what is now Mexico from 1521-1528. The Spanish settlers established what is known as the Encomienda System, a system that granted Spanish settlers, known as encomenderos, the right to extract labor from indigenous peoples. This system was put in place and intended to provide protection as well as convert Indigenous people to Christianity. Instead of doing this, the Encomienda system often leads to exploitation. These political ideals and systems were a large foundation of the Spanish settlements that had within them religious influence. The main part of this religious influence was the Catholic missionaries and their missions. The goal of these missionaries was to convert the Indigenous people into Catholics. Supported by the Spanish Crown, orders such as Dominicans, Franciscans, and Jesuits, were able to go out and attempt to complete their