Encounter and Colonies to 1754
It was in 1492 one of the world’s most important days.
This was the discovery of The Americas; there were several Spanish conquistadors which were Spanish
explorers who were seeking for a new trade route to India. Although in The
Americas was already inhabited by the Native Americans (Including the nations
from the south of The Americas). There were colony settlements which were the places were the Europeans
conquistadors settled. The most famous colonies were the ones in the USA, like James Town, this was the first
successful colony to be established by the English.
With so much pressure from uprising market demands from
the Europeans it was no surprise that the powerful Countries would seek for new
trading routs after the Silk Road was closed. It was the West Africa that was
having the demand for trade between Europe and Africa. The area of heaviest
interaction was generally known as Guinea.
In 1400 Guinea was the home of three kingdoms: the Oyo, Ife and Benin. In
Guinea there was a way in which things were run, by lineage. Lineage was the ruling classes in Guinea were generally
groups of people who shared common ancestor. The expedition to The Americas was
Spanish, yet the captain was Italian, Christopher
Columbus, he was from Genoa Italy and believed he could find a faster way
into India. After the discoveries of The Americas several things were traded
between the old world and the new world such as: maize, potato, sweet potato,
peanuts, tomatoes and other, from Europe came: Wheat, sugar, banana, rice,
olive oil and other things. This was known as the Columbian Exchange.
After the American, European and African cultures
collided in the 1400s; the Spanish were the first to invade the Americas. When
the Spanish settled in America the brought the encomienda system which was pretty much likes the feudal system in
Europe. The Spanish in the colonies and in strategic points settled the presidios which were forts manned by a
few soldiers. Although the Spanish were strong there was a man named Popé a medicine man who believed it
was the Spanish who caused the misfortune of the Pueblo people and Apaches. In
1680 there was a revolt which forced the Spanish out of Pueblo. Although there
was the Pueblo revolt of 1680, there was another problem the slave trade from
Africa to America was making a problem due to culture collisions. That’s why
the indentured servants from England
were brought to the Americas, it was very similar instead that the indentured
servants served in a different way and had the opportunity to obtain land and
their freedom. Another thing that was
present in the Americas was the religious
tolerance which was the idea that people of different religions should live
in peace.
Along with the religious tolerance came the Puritans. They are people who are
capable of affection and merriment as well as deep religious devotion. Great
part of the puritan ideas and religious tolerance was due to the Reformation. The reformation was
centuries earlier, although people felt a deeper and much more adequate
environment to come to the Americas with reformation ideas.
By the late 1600s and early 1700s; English-speaking
people had established a cluster of colonies on the Atlantic coast of North
America. During this time period there was a term named Mercantilism, which is the idea of nation’s economy can be strength
by the use of protective tariffs, trade monopolies, and balance of exports over
imports. After there was a stabilization of mercantilism between the British
colonies and England the English Parliament developed the Salutatory Neglect, which was the enforcement of British laws and
heavy taxes over the colonies that helped raise the English economy. Although
France and England did not have mines like Spain did other countries which used
the mercantilism used the balance of
trade that is, to export more goods than the ones being imported. During
the balance of trade there was a triangular
trade which was the trade between three points in the Atlantic World, the
Americas, Europe, and Africa. By the triangular trade people became wealthy and
in the colonies people who had a wealth were considered as Gentry which were men and women who had wealth enough to pay others
to do their work, they also used expensive cloth, had expensive houses, and
good manners. In between the triangular trade we find the Middle Passage, which was the trade rout in between the Americas
and Africa.
In the early 1700s, many religious ministers believed
that the colonist had fallen away from the faith of their ancestors. In the
1730s and 1740s, they lead a series of revivals that especially encountered
women and young men. This revival of religious feeling is now known as the Great Awakening. This movement was part of the puritans and
reformation. That was the ancestors of
all the men and women who came from mostly England.
Although people seem to think that the Spanish brought
the development to the Americas it is not correct, it were the English who
brought the salutary neglect and the great awakening to the Americas which were
the first steps to build America. Another aspect of the colonies like James
Town was the massive trade that was being done during this time period which
helped globalize the world, specially the new world, and create an economic
boom in Europe with its mercantilism which is still used in a certain way now
in days. The discovery of the Americas was a new step in the market trade and
reformations that were occurring. Wars and Christianize was another aspect
that happened and spread the colonization of America.
The Triangular Trade; Africa, The Americas, & Europe