European Colonization Of The Americas Research Paper

The colonization of the Americas was an expedition of the early European explorers. Several European countries followed Christopher Columbus’ expedition in search of new trade routes to Asia. Motivated by different economic reasons, explorers from England, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France colonized the Americas wanting to increase power, build colossal empires, and uphold European prestige. As a result, Europeans invaded Native American territory which led to the American colonization and eradication of the Native American’s way of life. The European colonization of the Americas was a tragedy due to events that occurred such as the on bringing of disease, language and religious barriers, and the ultimate genocide of Native Americans.

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Language differed among different Native Americans groups and Europeans which lead missionaries and colonist to depend on interpreters in order to communicate with each other. When Spanish colonized the Americas in search or silver and gold, the understanding between Spanish and Native Americans according to "The Journey of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca,” was by sign language. As Núñez stated, “We inquired of the Indians (by signs) whence they had obtained these things and they gave us to understand that, very far from there, was a province called Apalachen in which there was much gold.” the two languages spoken in Apalachen was Capoques, and Han (The Journal of ANCDV). The Europeans were not familiar with the common language of the land which created an informal way of communicating. Cabeza de Vaca was able to make assumptions based on gesture, and the way Native Americans interact with each other, “although they spoke to us, as we had no interpreters we did not understand them; but they made many gestures and threats, and it seemed as if they beckoned to us to leave the country. Afterward, without offering any molestation, they went away. …”(The Journal of ANCDV). In addition to this, Native Americans and Europeans had different views on religion. Spain and France sent missionaries to America with the goal of converting Natives to catholic Christianity. Europeans created a

In addition to death by disease from Europeans to the New World, the Europeans’ ambition towards gold, turned into a tragic chain of events that ended up with the assassination of millions of Natives. As a result, Europeans killed innocent children and infants and raped women along the way. Bartolomé de las Casas, wrote many different letters to the king of Spain reporting the tragic events that Europeans had done to the Natives. According to one of his letters, Native Americans were the most docile people he had ever met, “innocently simple, altogether void of and averse to all manner of Craft, Subtlety and Malice, and most Obedient and Loyal Subjects to their Native Sovereigns; and behave themselves very patiently, submissively and quietly towards the Spaniards, to whom they are subservient and subject…”(BDLC). Europeans, used this generosity as an advantage to take over their territory and allowed them to get the gold, jewels and slaves as they so desired. “the Spaniards never received any injury from the Indians, but that they rather reverenced them as Persons descended from Heaven…,” (BDLC). Native Americans were never a threat to Europeans, in fact they were very welcoming which is what made this event a