European Expansion: Relationship Between Europeans And Native Americans

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The presence of the Europeans changed the fate of the Western civilization for centuries after Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas. One key aspect of the European expansion was the relationship of the Native Americans, and the Europeans. The relationship between the Indians and Europeans was definitely an antagonistic one caused mainly by European expansion and their intolerance of indigenous cultures. This is clear in examining the relationship between Europeans and Native Americans in New England, and in the Spanish Southwest. In 1620, the first permanent English settlers landed in Massachusetts near Plymouth Rock. The colonies were in bad shape as the colonists did not know how to grow crops or survive in a new unfamiliar environment. In 1621, local Native Americans helped the newcomers making the English settlers thrive. This seemed to be the beginning of a alliance between the English and the Natives,…show more content…
Coronado’s expedition of 1512 through the Southwest constituted Spain’s first contact with the Indians. Once again, expansionism and religious intolerance lead to the oppression of the indigenous people. Until the 1600’s, North America was a useless wasteland with nothing to offer to the Spanish, but South and Central America was fully subjected under European rule. So expansionism drove the Spanish northwards to conquer even more land. The Spanish began to crush the Southwest Indians military, enslave and Christianize them. The Spanish in an act of intolerance began to establish churches and missions in New Mexico to convert local Indians. Slavery continued until Popes rebellion in 1680 leading to more violence and bloodshed. The Spanish used religion and justification for enslavement and exploitation as well as for the destruction of the Indians cultures. This made religious centers of the Spanish a main target for the

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