Colonialism

What is Colonialism?

Colonialism is the practice of one country taking control of another and exploiting it for their own gain. Under this definition, Colonialism has always existed in some form. Every Empire there's ever been has practiced Colonialism. However, this Colonialism was always much more local, invading the next nation over instead of nations far away across an ocean. After the voyages of discovery by people like Colombus and Magellan, the whole world became avaliable for profit.

Old Empires

New Empires

Why Colonialism?

Historians generally sum the reasons behind Colonialism into three categories, "Gold, God and Glory"

Gold

During the middle ages, Europeans had struggled as subsistence farmers. Noble people owned everything and poor people worked for them only. Famines killed millions. Before the discovery of the new world, Europe looked very different. The English didn't yet have tea. The Italians didn't have tomatoes, the Irish didn't have potatoes. Nobody had coffee, sugar or chocolate. These would all come from the New World.

However, other parts of the world were in their golden ages and thriving. The Islamic golden age was rising up in the middle east. They traded silks and developed clocks. The Indians were trading spices and the Chinese traded gunpowder and porcelain which is also known as China because it came from China. Europeans struggled to join in on this silk road trade. The Portuguese and Spanish attempted to negotiate passage through the Ottoman Empire. However, the Islamic Ottomans weren't in favor of it, especially after the Spanish and Portuguese had waged war against the Muslim Moors of North Africa. 

What would you do?

Therefore, these European powers had to figure out a plan B. The Portuguese found a work around in 1488 by sailing around the tip of Africa. They traded with African nations along the way. They named parts of the African coast, "the Gold Coast, the Ivory coast and the Slave coast" based on where it was easiest to find those resources. 

Silk Road to Colonialism - 3:46

https://youtu.be/vLpSeMlfZ60?si=aApy6lrVc1zwt-eE

Spain & Portugal 

This is where Columbus came in, convincing the Spanish crown to fund their expedition. He believed he could reach India by sailing west instead. Finding the new land, they named it the West Indies and named the people Indians. They found the people there to be vulnerable. They didn't have armies, guns or armor and lived in smaller communities. They seized the land and claimed it for Spain. However, with news of the New World, Portugal rushed in and claimed what is now Brazil. This unsettled Spain and so, mediated by the Pope, Spain and Portugal agreed to draw lines and share the world without fighting each other. 

Spreading God

The God portion of "Gold, God and Glory" refers to the Europeans eagerness to share their religion. Most indigenous people believed in many different God's. However, Christianity teaches of a single God, a jealous God who competed with false Gods for loyalty. The "Great Commission" proclaimed by Jesus, declared that the apostles should "go and make disciples of all nations." Therefore, Explorers, missionaries and settlers, carried tall the crucifix into the new lands. Colombus' ships had big red crosses on the sails. Many discovered lands were named after Catholic saints, Saint Thomas, Saint John, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin and Dominica is named after St Dominick. Antigua is named after a church in Spain. Trinidad was named after the Trinity. In the Pacific, islands are named Christmas Island and Easter Island.

Many Explorers sought all three, Gold, God and Glory. They believed the local populations to be godless heathens, worshipping false idols.

The Europeans arrived and forced these people to swear Alligence to their king, forced them to learn their language and forced them to convert to Christianity. Anyone not learning their language, swearing Alligence to the monarch or converting to Christianity was killed or enslaved. 

The Portuguese and Spanish both promoted Catholicism and countries they colonized are highly Catholic today. The Netherlands, England and France flipped flopped between catholicism and protestantism. Depending on the Monarch at the time, they would force other countries to follow that sect. Britain for example, would enforce Protestant Christianity when James II was King, the person who Jamestown was named after. Whereas when Mary I was Queen, Catholic Christianity was enforced. Maryland was named after her. 

European Preachers and Priests were sent over and responsible for founding "missions", churches that's main objective was to convert the heathens. Some of these famous Missions include, The Alamo Mission, San Jose, San Francisco, San Antonio and San Deigo. 

How they colonized? 

The European Colonizers used the same tactics to overpower the natives. They would reward those who did what they wanted and punish those who didn't cooperate. 

If a tribe cooperated, they'd agree to follow Christianity, recognize the European king as their own and pay tribute in the form of gold. They would agree to take orders from the Europeans.

They'd reward a cooperative tribe with guns, horses and gold. This is how indigenous tribes got horses and gun, from the Europeans. 

The Tribespeople who cooperated saw great benefits, using the guns to defeat their rival tribes. In many wars, one tribe would fight on the side of the Europeans against another tribe. This would bring them prosperity and safety, for the time being. 

When a tribe wouldn't cooperate, they'd be enslaved, murdered and driven off their land. The Europeans would use their guns against the indigenous people's bows. They'd burn villages to the ground and enslave the men, forcing them to dig in mines.

Glory

The achievements of the Empires was well received back home. They'd celebrate the victories of their fathers, sons, uncles, nephews and brothers. National pride and patriotism was at a high. Cartoons were published in newspapers. 

What messages can be interpreted from these cartoons?