History During American Civil War: As the European powers such as France, Spain, the Dutch Republic and Great Britain conquered the ancient America (Essay Sample)

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Response to question 1
The entrance of the Spaniards into the New World in 1492 saw Spain rule a vast empire for more than 350 years. The Spaniards capacity to conquer and rule the vast area in ancient America was highly enabled by the country’s superiority in military technology. However, other methods such as introducing diseases to natives that lacked immunities also made it possible for the Spanish to conquer the New Land. For instance, smallpox and influenza killed millions of the indigenous population. Spanish conquistadors also formed powerful alliances with native leaders who were rewarded with land for teaching Christianity to the natives. The Spanish conquest of the New World was perpetuated to serve three main objectives: to gather riches such as gold; to gain world glory over other European powers and to spread Christianity. Due to these varying objectives, the conquistadors have to use different conquering techniques that suited each goal.
However, the efforts by the Spaniards to accomplish all three primary objectives led to the eruption of unpredicted conflicts. For instance, to gain riches, the Spaniards had to enslave and decimate the local native communities. However, slavery and mistreatment of natives were not fully supported by the Catholic missionaries who consistently took initiatives to advocate for the safeguarding of the rights of the citizens. Case in point, Jesuits enlightened the natives on their rights. Also, the introduction of diseases as the Spaniards sought to weaken and gain glory over the locals lead in the decline of laborers. During the Spanish invasion and subsequent conquering of the New World, Bartolomeo de las Casas played a crucial role in cultivating a healthy relationship between Indians and Spanish. For instance, he ceaselessly advocated for the ideology that Indians had a right to their lands and properties. He pointed out on the cruelty of the Spaniards towards Indians and advocated for human rights. He also called for the end of slavery and wrote books that revealed injustices of the Spanish colonial rule.
Response to question 2
As the European powers such as France, Spain, the Dutch Republic and Great Britain conquered the ancient America, the natives were subjected to untold sufferings such as slavery and diseases. As a result, the number of native slaves declined sharply forcing colonial powers to import slaves from Africa. However, the number of American-born slaves was higher than the African born. For instance, in the British mainland colonies, the population of Creoles (American-born) was higher compared to African-born slaves during the 1750s. The difference in the population number among Creoles and African-born slaves had a notable effect in the formation of African-American communities. Firstly, the difference in numbers highly determined how African-born men selected spouses. The selection of spouses shaped the marriage relationships in the then society. For instance, black men developed a notion that marrying white women is a better option. From their viewpoint, marrying white women ensured that their children were born free.
Also, the black women also got children with the colonial masters to make sure that their children gained freedom easily. The difference in numbers also had a positive impact on the integration of Africa-American communities after the end of slavery and attainment of independence. For instance, after the 1750s, the racial attitudes in the mainland of British colonies were more flexible compared to the past. The flexibility was enhanced by the fact that Creoles and African-born had learnt to live together peacefully.
Response to question 3
1763 marked the end of the Seven Years’ War, where French battled with Great Britain and its allies (Indians). England won the war by defeating the French and their allies. However, the unexpected victory came at an unprecedented cost which created new challenges to Britain. Firstly, the British government had to figure out how to settle the national debt, which exceeded 122 million pounds while interest payable per year was more than 4.5 million pounds. Such amount of debt was enormous for the government to settle by then. The need to formulate sound strategies to pay that debt absorbed the attention of the rulers overshadowing other responsibilities. Secondly, maintaining order in the newly acquired territories and the entire British colonies was another problem that emerged after 1763. To address this issue, Great Britain opted to keep a standing army in America. This decision led to the eruption of rebellions among the natives.
The introduction of numerous forms of taxes as the source of revenue also created protests among the natives as the taxes affected the cost of commodities. The Republican colonists were wealthy in all aspects. They owned large tracts of land, slaves and were financially stable. As a result, they had the power to convince the natives to go to war with the British. The Republican ideology enlightened the colonists to keenly examine their relationship with t...