What Were The Differences Between The Spanish And Aztecs

Every child learns the phrase, “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” in third grade. While catchy they do not learn to much more than that. Europe had only speculated what was to the West of their borders before any voyage was attempted. Spain, France, and Britain each offered something to the new world they wanted to give. Among their reasons trade and religion were the focal points. Being a predominantly Christian area, all European countries wanted to get away from Muslims. Their approach was achievable if they could gain a direct route of trade to Asia that prevented going through their Islamic middlemen. Europeans settled in various areas amongst different Indian Nations each with a different story to tell. These stories had both …show more content…
The first major exchange with natives was by Herán Cortés in Tenochtitlán, home of the Aztecs. The Aztecs were fierce warriors and practiced sacrificial rituals as many as a thousand people at a time. The Spanish saw this and knew their were right to think they were a uncivilized group despite their own transgressions. In the 1500s they were burning people at the stake for being witches, not being a Christian, and criminals all where the town could watch for sport. Despite their hypocrisy Cortés and a few hundred men set out to conquer the Aztecs. They were vastly outnumbered but had more fire power and assistance by those Indians who were not loyal with the Aztecs. The Spanish had a silent ally too during this time. The Aztecs’ own weak immune system to smallpox wiped out a large part of them. After Cortés, Francisco Pizarro found and overwhelmingly took the Inca kingdom. Even receiving the ransom for the Incan King they killed him and started the first shipments of silver and gold from the mines to the Spanish …show more content…
The religious motivation for the English was freeing the world from the Pope and spreading Protestantism. Something the English felt was their duty was to the Indians and freeing them from their own savagery and convert them to Protestants. Indians religious view were too close to the Catholic region they left behind. The new world was the best place for separation from the crowns censorship of Puritan views. Along with religion, trade was still important from time to time. Some colonies had no issues keeping open trade with the Indians. Fur trade was one the English used as well. In the Southern regions of the new world the Pequots broke this peaceful fur trade with the murder of a trader in 1637. The English provoked them by the increased expansion of the colonies. Along with the fur trader the Pequots burned and murdered over 500 colonist to include women and children. The English found the Tobacco was a great way to gain more money in the new world. In the Virginia and Maryland this was the main way to make money. Low income English used servitude as a way to buy their way to the new world worked for the merchants who ruled over the Tobacco fields. After five years many gained their freedom after working off their debt to those who paid their way in the first place. The whites who worked in the fields or owned the fields began to