Summary Of The Difference Between English And Spanish Settlements

In the chapter Conquerors and Victims, the author states the differences between the English and Spanish colonial formation. The English and Spanish settlements in the New World had a large influence on the politics, culture, and hierarchy of what is the U.S. and Latin America. In grade school, it’s taught that the English explored one side of present-day the United States, and the Spanish mainly the southwest. While reading the text it is shocking to know that yes, that is true, but before the English arrived the Spanish had already been throughout the country placing Spanish flags in places like Kansas, Louisiana, and New York. The Spanish already existed and by the time the English arrived the Natives were already “civilized”. The differences between Latin America and the U.S. colonization was that the English settlements were mainly family
settlements.
The English were escaping violence and death from the old world. During this time England was separating from the Catholic Church and eventually established the Church of England; many laws enforced by Henry VII made it a crime being Catholic or any other religion. The English Settlement was very individualistic while the Spanish was about “saving the people”. The crown funded the Spanish settlements and they did not send people to populate, they would send military and religious people. It was also interesting that in the Spanish colonies social inclusion was something common and there were free slaves; while in the English colonies, being a person of color was seen as something bad. However in the Spanish colonies there was political exclusion; Only the Spanish were able to have a place within the government. In the English colonies, the ideas of Common Law and democracy were ideas/practices from the
Iroquois.

Learning this information has opened my eyes, and I now see that in the public educational system we are not taught the true history. I believe this is something that should affect everyone; our history is being washed away. When I’m not being taught about where the true roots of the country’s ideas about governance came from, it’s denying others and I the basic knowledge and understanding of not just our history, but how history has affected our lives today. I feel like it's our duty to check our teachers, professors, and tutors on the real history; and when we are the voices for every Latino or Hispanic, we should take the opportunity and give everyone a history lesson. Only that way will it start to sink in, that it’s important that we learn our history.