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... ish made to blend cultures exemplifies a very distinct characteristic of this country. The Church, a very dominant body at this time, required holy wars and just wars. Bartolomeo de Las Casas, a great defender of the natives said, I know by certain infallible signs that the wars waged by the Indians against the Christians have been justifiable wars and that all the wars waged by the Christians against the Indians have been unjust wars, more diabolical than any other wars ever waged anywhere in the world (Hoffer, 93).
Religion, being the second pillar of the empire, caused many of the Spaniards to sympathize with the treatment of the savages in books such as Relations des Jesuits. The main group that promoted the merging of the vastly different cultures was the religious group the Jesuits. The primary approach of this group was to protect the natives, but they attempted to communicate with them, and even tried converting them to Christianity, but the debate over baptizing the natives caused much controversy. Being the first country to explore the New World, the emerging of the trading of African slave take place. From the slave trade emerged two types of societies. Slaveholding societies, in which slaves have some degree of personal independence, controlling their time, space, and social and domestic relations (Hoffer, 98), gave slaves more freedom.
Slave holding societies were societies where slavery was only one form of labor, and slaves are not the majority of the population (Hoffer, 98). This social structure could be seen throughout the Spanish empire. Beliefs of the people from the foreign empire towards the Indians were that of much controversy. The Spanish scholars, priests, and royal lawyers debated the moral basis for the empire.
At the issue for the thinkers was whether the natives were by nature fit only for slavery or could become loyal, productive, and pious subjects of the kings of Spain-in effect, whether the Indians have souls (Hoffer, 92). Another aspect of the thinking of the Spanish people was education, whether it is the Jesuits learning the languages of the natives, teaching the natives Spanish or Latin, or the establishment of schools played an important role during the first encounters. The development of higher education in North America first began in Mexico with the opening of the University of Mexico. Hoffer considered Spanish law the first pillar of the Spanish empire in North America. The Spanish crown tightly controlled many aspects of their land.
It appeared that the conquistadors were set to simply purge and plunder, but in reality, the monarchy had a very detailed plan. In fact, Spain was the most legalistic of all the European powers (Hoffer, 91). In the center of the towns presidio and churches could be found. This put the government and church in opposition on many issues. Then, the natives were brought together outside of the towns to be taught and work. Also, the Spanish believed in requerimiento.
Under this provision, if the Indians pledged loyalty to the crown, then they were taken under the empires protection. In all aspects of governing the new lands, the Spanish tried to justify and evaluate each officials performance. The Trial at Acoma and utilizing audiences exemplifies their positive intentions. Under the Ferdinand and Isabella's tight rule, the Spanish empire constantly sought to provide a check on the whole system, report on particular problems, and simply keep everyone on their toes (Hoffer, 94). Paddling down the Saint Lawrence River and on the Newfoundland coast, the French began their empire. Developing a commercial empire (Hoffer, 131), these Europeans traded extensively with Indians of this region like the Ojibwas, Hurons, and the Algongonquins.
Many goods were traded amongst the men. Beaver fur, the mark of high fashion and elevated economic status (Hoffer, 130), was so desired that it was hunted to extinction. The French sought to monopolize the trade in the area they occupied. Samuel de Champlain, a French soldier, realized the necessity in having the Indians as allies and decided that French Canada had to be a joint European-Indian project (Hoffer, 133). He began uniting his countrys trading posts along the coast. If the Indians had not helped the French, fur trade would have been impossible, and the French continued Champlain's wise policy of conciliation and alliance (133).
From the mother country, the French crown maintained a centrally controlled government. Since few settlers came to the New World, objection to their rule was minimal. The French sought to develop a commercialized empire, one that relied on trade with the Indians and their help. Coming to the empire, the explorers had precise instructions to achieve their plans. Because of this countrys strong desire to commercialize and profit from their empire, very few people from the motherland voyaged to settle this New World. Traders, like Champlain, were the main people to make the voyage.
Another prominent group that came from France was the Jesuits. These religious men came to the New World in attempt to convert the Indians to their religion. To do this, they set up social communities in which deeply faithful congregations gathered to attract the Indians. As depicted in Black Robe, the French sought to learn the language of the natives and teach them about their culture. The distinct feature of this European country is they had better relationships with the natives than that of other European countries. Being that the spreading of religion and developing an understanding of other cultures was so important to the French, learning the beliefs of the Indians was an important aspect.
They promoted to discover points of commonality between Catholicism and native religions (Holifield, 72). By being able to communicate with the Indians, the Jesuits engaged them in theological discussions to gain insight on their beliefs. Indians, also great admirers of long, in depth arguments, enjoyed rhetorical conversations with the Jesuits. Although attempting to blend the religions, certain elements of the natives beliefs, like sacred time, space, objects, community, and language and song, were some cultural views the natives held fast to. Discovering the religion of the people of the New World was a major concern of the French. Each European country examined had distinct characteristics upon encountering the natives of the New World.
Their attitude, actions, and laws immensely impacted the development of our country. Although all countries are from Europe, their various beliefs and ideas affected the development of their colonies. English, being the most dominant power in North America, clearly had the largest empire, which is reflected in the large amount of roots that come from this country. The relationships that emerged between the natives and the foreigners greatly affected each country in different ways.
Both extremes can be seen. The conquistadors who frequently waged war on the natives, and the French, who sought to develop peaceful, religious relationships. Each country had positive aspects and negative aspects that played an important role in the forming of their empires in the New World. Bibliography: Works Cited Hoffer, Peter Charles.
The Brave New World: A History of Early America. New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Holifield, E. Brooks. Era of Persuasion. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1989.
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