What were the similarities and differences between the Spanish French and English colonization?

As the world of global exploration and colonization grew, many powerful European empires set out to see what the New World had in store for them. Each empire had their own individual agendas and incentives for colonization. This led to the many differences between methods of colonization and exploration in every colony and region. The Atlantic World portrayed these contrasts between the Spanish, French, Dutch and British empires. However, the British settlements along the Eastern seaboard differed the most from those of other empires because there were no established policies or methods in British colonization, which led to differences in the economics and culture of each colony depending on who settled it. All four empires colonized for a number of reasons. These included finding another route to the East Indies, empire building, proselytization, and the extraction of natural resources. These different motivations shaped the settlements and colonies of each empire. While most empires had the same motivations in all of their colonies in an area, the British motivations varied in each colony. This was determined by the people and the environment of the colony, rather than one international method. The Spanish colonized to expand their empire economically through resource…show more content…
Their policies and methods of colonization were consistent in every region they conquered because of this fact. The British colonies were inconsistent because the they were controlled by both the king and stock companies, which meant that different colonies had different incentives to settle. This hybrid of authority in each region meant that the North American colonies cannot be studied thematically as a whole, rather they must be analyzed as individual cases. These differences were determined by the motivations to settle the colonies and what environment the people lived

Spain, England, and France were the primary countries that struggled to control the continent. Their settlers crossed

The royal charter established the English colonies. The earliest settlements were established in Massachusetts and Virginia. They later spread to other coastal towns along the Atlantic Ocean. The French first colonies were established as trading posts. Others developed as exploration centers such as the Ports of Canada and Lawrence Valley. Crown sponsored conquests established the first colonies.

France and Spain’s colonies were governed by aristocratic leaders or sovereigns who employed absolute rule (Elliott, 2007). The colonialists were sent to North America as servants of the Crown. On the other hand, English colonialists enjoyed some freedom. The colonists were given the opportunity to govern themselves but had to adhere to the English laws and obey the King. England also allowed immigrants from others states or colonies to North America. As such, it was able to boost its population. On the other hand, Spain and France did not allow immigrants to its colonies of North America.

The majority of the English colonies were non-Catholics. However, they allowed tolerance in their colonies. Massachusetts and Puritans were allowed to form restrictive and autocratic leadership. The Protestants played a critical role in the founding of the French colonies. However, they were excluded from the colony beginning 1665. The French Catholic Clergy largely controlled the colonial life. Catholic was the dominant religion in the Spanish colonies. The Protestants were persecuted and driven out of the colony.

The Spanish settlements were interested in protecting their shipments of silver and gold to avoid competition with other European powers. The French established permanent settlements and created trade links with the Indians. They avoided confrontation with the Indians as opposed to the Spanish. The British encouraged diverse economic activities in their colonies. They knew this would allow them to establish long-term relations with the Native Americans and the Indians (Elliott, 2007). The British colonies were developed economically as compared to French and Spanish colonies. The French colonies were sparsely populated. They were mainly used to promote trade with the Indians for fur. The English and French colonies were densely populated, and the citizens were more civilized. They established large farms, mines, and big cities.

Both colonies considered Native Americans as important. They introduced new goods to the colonies. Besides, they thought that the colonies lacked authority and introduced their systems of government. Bureaucrats and lawyers headed the Spanish system of government. The King was the overall leader and the sole authority. The primary function of the colonial government systems curb aggression, establish local governance system and top-down royal governance.

The English, Spanish and French colonialist believed in Christianity. They believed in the freedom from sin. However, they did not encourage freedom of religion. Both of them had Catholic religion which they worshiped. They primary missionary mission was to convert the Native Americans to Christianity. Both the colonialists were interested in controlling the new World and imposing their authority. Therefore, the British, Spanish, French colonies had several differences and similarities. However, their primary objective was to stamp their authority in North America.

References;

• Deutsch, Karl Wolfgang. Political Community and the North American Area. Princeton University Press, 2015.
• Elliott, John Huxtable. Empires of the Atlantic world: Britain and Spain in America, 1492-1830. Yale University Press, 2007.

During the European age of expansion in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, various European nations were colonizing the newly discovered Americas. Spain and France would become prominent players in the Western Hemisphere, both conquering and colonizing new territories. However, each country had different methods of developing their colonies in the New World. Spanish and French settlements contrasted greatly with one another in terms of economic development and Native American relations. The economies of Spanish and French colonies differed from one another, considering their geography. For example, the Spanish established colonies in the south, while the French mainly established colonies near present-day Canada. The differences in…show more content…
Spain’s colonies developed a profitable agricultural industry. In the warmer surroundings of the south, a variety of crops such as sugarcane and tobacco were cultivated on plantations. The French, on the other hand, had little success with farming. Instead, their fishing and fur trade was more advantageous, and the French formed a trading alliance with the local natives. To protect their economic interests, in 1627, the king of France gave the Company of New France a fur trade monopoly. Despite these differences, both Spanish and French colonies shared the similarity of mercantilism. The discovery of gold and silver in the Americas led the Spanish crown to strictly regulate trade in the colonies. Likewise, France used various mercantilist policies to control the flow of trade. For example, Jean Baptiste Colbert, the chief minister of Louis XIV from 1661 to 1683, prohibited the export of money, and promoted French shipping. In addition, he encouraged the export of raw materials from French colonies to France. The trans-Atlantic…show more content…
After observing local natives, the first Spanish conquistadors came to the conclusion that the Native Americans were barbaric and in dire need of Christian teachings. Thus, Spanish colonists made it their mission to convert the local natives to Christianity, using violence when there was resistance. In 1597, there were a series of uprisings by the Guale Indians in present-day Florida. They destroyed many missions, explaining that the Spanish missionaries had attempted to eliminate their religious practices such as feasts and celebrations. The Spanish also oppressed the Native Americans, and used them as a labor force under the encomienda system. The French, on the other hand, are known for their peaceful alliances with the Native Americans. Colonists established trade agreements with the local natives, obtaining raw goods such as fur and timber. Their peaceful relationship may in fact be attributed to the Spanish; the “Black Legend” of Spanish cruelty towards Native Americans made other European countries eager to prove themselves different. The French took pride in the fact that they treated the Native Americans more humanely than their Spanish counterparts. In addition, the French were not interested in expanding their territory, unlike the Spanish. They were simply looking for trade opportunities, and a mutual relationship with the Native Americans was advantageous. The primary goal of Spain