Spanish Settlement Research Paper

Spanish Settlement
In 1492 Columbus landed on Hispaniola, territory that belongs to the Caribbean Islands. The discovery of a new continent aroused curiosity among European nations. As a result, many of them traveled to explore the New World in search of resources. These explorations led to the colonization of America, which began one year after the discovery of Hispaniola. By 1502, the Spanish explorer Nicolas de Ovando established a base in Hispaniola. This represented the beginning of the Spanish colonization in America. With the Spanish empire having control over Europe, Asia, and America, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans served as the main routes for the exchange of goods and people. By the early 1500s, there were two main Spanish conquerors, Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro. These two men conquered the most populous regions and rich in natural resources of the New World. Thanks to their superior military technology, they
also were able to take control over great civilizations such as the Aztec and Inca civilizations. The massive colonization resulted on the significant decrease of the native population due to diseases, such as smallpox and influenza, the colonists brought, enslavement, and wars.
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire was the biggest empire in the Americas since it was extended from South America through Mexico, the Caribbean, and Florida.
The center of the empire was located in Mexico City in which a stable government based on absolutism was established with the Catholic Church playing a significant role in the administration of the colonies. The spread of religion was the main excuse Spanish colonists used to justify their actions. Although the Spanish relied on cultural superiority, missionary zeal, and violence to spread the empire, the Spanish Empire always insisted that their main goal of colonization was to convert the Indians to the "true faith," Catholicism. However, this argument wasn’t credible since they enslaved Indians to extract resources to enrich the mother nation Spain. As a result of this, Bartolomé de Las Casas wrote about the injustices of Spanish rule toward the Indians making Spain look like a brutal and exploitive colonizer. As a result of the critiques of Las Casas, the enslavement of Indians was
prohibited.
Dutch Empire
In 1906 Henry Hudson claimed the area of New York for the Netherlands, and the Dutch West India Company settled colonists on Manhattan Island, which eventually became Europe’s foremost shipping and banking center. Unlike the Spanish Empire, the Dutch Empire was an empire that gave many liberties to its population. It allowed the freedom of religion and press, and even slaves and women possessed rights. Because of these liberties, the Dutch empire was the refuge for many persecuted Protestants and Jews that came from all parts of Europe. This also allowed the empire to grow as a very diverse place. On the other hand, the livestock was cheap and people could have free land after six years of labor. Finally, unlike the Spanish Empire, the Dutch Empire didn’t conquer the Indians. Instead, they treated the Indians more humanely and came to an agreement to trade with them and live peacefully.