Economics and Colonization. European Exploration and Colonization of North America.
Impact of Colonization
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Transcript of Impact of Colonization
Impact of Colonization
Colonial Administration• Spain: four viceroyalties• Intendant System• Official exercises broad powers• Reports to monarchy
Plantation and Encomienda System• Spanish men move and create haciendas• Import livestock• Plantations in tropical areas; sugar• Used natives as labor • Encomienda• Used natives as labor, or demand tribute
Effects on Native Americans• 1492: est. 50 million Native Americans• Disease decimates population (small pox, typhus, flu, etc.)• Overwork kills many• Forced work leads to malnutrition• Violence and warfare
Bartolome de Las Casas• Franciscan friar• Fiercest critic of Spanish actions• Convinced Charles V to tone down enconmienda system
Writing of Las Casas
Thus husbands and wives were together only once every eight or ten months and when they met they were so exhausted and depressed on both sides…they ceased to procreate. As for the newly born, they died early because their mothers, overworked and famished, had no milk to nurse them, and for this reason, while I was in Cuba, 7,000 children died in three months. Some mothers even drowned their babies from sheer desperation…In this way, husbands died in the mines, wives died at work, and children died from lack of milk… and in a short time this land which was so great, so powerful and fertile…was depopulated…
Spread of Christianity• Jesuit missionaries followed conquistadors• Converted natives to Christianity• Taught loyalty to colonial masters
COLONIAL LIFE
Colonial Cultures• First explorers maintain relationships with native women• Colonies with women take on European culture• England: strict line drawn between natives and English• France: encouraged relationships with natives• Most women were of African origin• Mixing creates complex identities• Mestizo: mixed Native American and Spanish decent
SOCIAL HIERARCHY
V
C
M & M
I & A
Viceroys Penisulares:Native Spaniards
Creoles:People of pureEuropean bloodBut born in theNew World
Mestizos: Indian +European blood
Mulattos:African +European blood
Indians and Africans
Columbian Exchange• Trade of goods, food, culture, disease between New World
and Old.
Columbian Exchange: Food
New World• Maize (corn)• White potatoes• Sweet potatoes• Peanuts• Tomatoes• Squash• Pumpkin• Pineapples• Papaya• avocados
Old World• Rice• Wheat• Barley• Oats• Rye• Turnips• Onions• Cabbage• Lettuce• Peaches• Pears• sugar
Columbian Exchange: Domesticated Animals
New world
• Dogs• Llamas• Guinea pigs• Fowl (some species)
Old World
• Dogs• Horses• Donkeys• Pigs• Cattle• Goats• Sheep• Barnyard fowl
Columbian Exchange: Disease
New World
• Syphilis???Old World
• Small pox• Flu• Mumps• Measles• Bubonic Plague• Dysentery• Cholera• Malaria• Typhoid