European Colonization The Early Years

What made it possible for European nations to “discover” the New World?

Scientific Advancements Renaissance Merchants

What motivated the Spanish, French, and English to colonize the New World?

Spanish Colonization Conquistadores explored for God, Gold, and Glory- gold and silver were sent back to Spain Sponsored by the Spanish Crown Aimed to convert natives to Catholicism Most colonists were single males- many married Indian or black women mestizos & mulattos Encomienda system: Spanish forced natives into hard labor & severe punishment in the New World; monarch rewarded the leaders of conquest w/ Indian villages who had to work in exchange for legal protection

French Colonization French colonial interests developed slowly In search for wealth & Catholic converts Viewed natives as necessary economic partners in the Fur Trade Needed natives to act as hunters and trappers as the fur trade became France’s most profitable export Catholic missionaries lived among the natives & learned to speak their language in some cases

English Colonization Exploration was initially sponsored by the crown, but then private groups of investors established their own settlements in pursuit of their own goals permanent settlements depended upon getting to know the land & learning to plant crops that would flourish Settlement was fueled by economic profit, outposts for trade, & competition with the Spanish English treated natives with brutality (similarly to how they treated the Irish)