History of Colonisation

14 Questions

What is the main difference between colonialism and imperialism?

Colonialism is when one country gains control over another, while imperialism is a policy of extending a country’s power.

What was the European viewpoint of the indigenous people?

They believed indigenous people were inferior to Europeans.

What was the impact of contact and colonization on Indigenous society?

It was destructive and led to discrimination, disadvantage, disease, and death.

Where did the First Americans live?

In the Eastern Woodlands, the Great Plains, and the South-West.

Who sent Christopher Columbus to the Americas?

The King of Spain.

What was the main reason for the English to settle in America?

To establish trade and business opportunities.

What was the initial interaction between Native Americans and Europeans?

Peaceful and based on trade.

What was the name of the war that began in 1754 as a battle for territory?

The Seven Years War.

Who led the British in the war over control of North America?

Lt. Colonel George Washington

What was the outcome of the war between the British and French?

The British won and gained lots of French territory.

What happened to the Native Americans after being forcibly removed from their land?

They were placed on reservations with limited resources.

What was the main reason for the decline of the buffalo population?

Trade with European settlers leading to overhunting.

What led to the invasion of Cherokee lands?

The discovery of gold in Georgia.

What was the impact of the loss of buffalo on traditional Native American life?

It sealed the fate of traditional Native American life.

Study Notes

Colonialism and Imperialism

Colonialism: When one country gains political power over another and controls the government, people, and resources.
European rule: Characterized by Politics, Religion, and Economy (PRE).
Imperialism: A policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, military force, or other means.

European Viewpoint

Saw their world as the center of civilization and Christianity as the only true religion.
Believed their life was superior to the original inhabitants of the land.
Viewed indigenous people as obstacles to development.

Indigenous Americans

Impact of contact and colonization: Destructive for indigenous society, leading to discrimination, disadvantage, disease, and death.
Colonists pushed indigenous people off their land and stole it from them.
Land is a central element of indigenous culture, with religious and symbolic significance.

The First Americans

Indigenous Americans were influenced by the environment.
Lived in the Eastern Woodlands, coastal regions, the Great Plains, and the South-West.

European Explorers

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer sent by Spain to the Americas in 1492.

Hernan Cortes

Spanish conquistador who landed in Hispaniola (Modern-day Dominican Republic) and took over Cuba and Mexico.
Conquest of Mexico from 1519-1521.

Aztecs

Tribe of warriors in the Valley of Mexico.
Conquered by Cortes.

The French

Jacques Cartier explored between 1534-1543.
Found the forests in the north to be a valuable resource for trees and animals for fur.
Settlement in Quebec in 1608.

The English

King Henry VII sent Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) to North America in 1497.
King James I sent more people to establish colonies in the Americas 100 years later.
In 1606, King James set up two trading companies in London and Plymouth.

English Trading Companies

London Company established Jamestown in Virginia in 1607.
Settlers were encouraged to go to America for business opportunities, new land, and independence.

Initial Contact

Initially, Native Americans and Europeans had peaceful interactions.
Trading cloth, metal tools, and utensils for beaver and raccoon skins.

Settlement in America

The Seven Years War

Began in 1754 as a battle for territory between the British and French.
British led by Lt. Colonel George Washington.
The British won the war and gained lots of French territory.

Loss of Land and Reservations

Between 1810 and 1825, Native Americans lost 40 million hectares of land to white settlements in the Ohio Valley.
The U.S. government forcibly removed Native American communities from their land and placed them on reservations.
Expected to adapt to the European lifestyle.
The land they were given was useless for farming or growing crops.

Native American Treatment

Description of Buffalos

As Europeans moved West, they destroyed the land and animals along the way.
Traded buffalo for guns, tobacco, and whiskey.
By the 1840s, traders were shipping 100,000 buffalo hides every year to the eastern states.
By 1883, the buffalo herds of the south were extinct, and only 200 buffalo survived in the north.

Gold Rush in Georgia and Impact

The discovery of gold in Georgia in 1829 made settlers invade Cherokee lands in the quest for wealth.
The Americans took away the land from the Cherokee and removed them from their homes.
On top of this, cholera and measles (epidemics) killed thousands of Native Americans.