British English Imperialism In Ireland Essay

A) During the British conquering of Ireland in the 1570s and 1580s, “many English soldiers developed in Ireland a sneering contempt for the ‘savage’ natives, an attitude that they brought with them to the New World.” Such an attitude materialized in the use of “Irish tactics” by the British where “Elizabeth’s troops crushed the Irish uprising with terrible ferocity, inflicting unspeakable atrocities upon the native Irish people.” Indeed, one of such English soldiers included Captain De La Warr, who, unlike his predecessor, Captain John Smith, treated the Native Americans terribly just as he did the Irish, “raid(ing) Indian villages, burn(ing) houses, confiscat(ing) provisions, and torch(ing) cornfields.” Such a Native American policy led to

Likewise, after the Spanish Armada and England’s separation from the Roman Catholic Church, the English people united not only militarily, but also religiously against one common enemy, the Spanish. Thereafter, English nationalism flourished with literary references by Shakespeare of the English colonies and a concerted anti-Catholic hatred. With confidence in her naval superiority and a mutual hatred towards Spain as a result of increased nationalism, England was read to sow the seeds of their imperial empire analogous to the unity Spain experienced one century

The French, for instance, recruited the Native Americans for the fur trade where many natives would kill beavers in ‘boatloads’ which was against their religion so that the French could profit in return for the disastrous effects wrought by the “singing, paddle-swinging French voyageurs’” alcohol. Likewise, the Spanish system of encomienda essentially enslaved Native Americans forcing them to mine gold and work on haciendas with their only payment being their salvation. The exploitation of Native Americans by both the French and Spanish (and English too) facilitated the demise of not only Native American populations, but also entire Native American