Factors that Influenced the European Conquest of the Americas
Don't have to use all resources. Select two to three that are related to the question that you choose will be fine. Below are the instructions:
Your task is to write a 2 page argumentative essay addressing one of the following prompts. Your responses should be in the form of a formal academic essay, with an intro paragraph that summarizes your argument and contains a clear thesis statement, body paragraphs that support and provide evidence for your position, and a concluding paragraph. Your responses should draw solely on material from readings and lectures, and use appropriate quotes and textual analysis from multiple sources. Formatting should follow common collegiate standards, including common font type and size (11 or 12pt), 1” margins, and properly footnoted using the Chicago format. Your answers to these questions must take the form of an argumentative essay, meaning that in addition to being specific, debatable, and evidentiary, they must explain a relationship of historical causality by answering a why question inspired by these prompts.
Question 1) So far in class you’ve been presented with two broad arguments that seek to explain the European conquest of the Americas. In week two lecture I highlighted both geographic and material factors, and the important roles culture and ideology played. Where do you situate yourself in this debate? What explains why and how conquest happened exactly as it did? In your argument you may choose to explore themes of race and racism, economic motivations, political structure and practices, religion, ideology, or other factors. Whatever position you chose, be sure to critically engage the source material from class and not simply recount ideas we have already explored.
Question 2) Compare the main themes and concepts in the work of John Locke and Bartolome De Las Casas. For example, what do they mean, and how do they use specific, individual words and phrases like “Indian,” or “Christianity?” How do more complex concepts like race, labor, or justice play out in their work? More than a comparison, you should develop an argument about what explains their use – why do they present these particular meanings? You may focus on one singular, or multiple concepts in your paper.
Question 3) Pick a theme or idea you’ve written about in your weekly reading response and develop that into an argumentative essay. Is there an idea on concept you want to explore more? Do you have lingering questions or doubts about aspects of the subject mater? Do you think there is a certain factor or phenomenon that helps explain the contours of history? Is there something important that we have left out? Be sure to develop an academic argument from these ideas. And please consult with me before taking on this question.
CONQUEST OF THE AMERICAS
Student’s Name
Course
Date
Conquest of the Americas
The European conquest of the Americas began in earnest in the fifteenth century. The Indies, for instance, were discovered in 1492 by the Spaniards. However, contrary to the widely accepted belief, the territory was well populated before the arrival of Europeans. The native inhabitants of the area were the American Indians, who amiably welcomed the Europeans. The conquest of the Americas was no mean feat, and the speed at which the Europeans conquered the territory depended on several factors. Many observers have wondered whether geographical features, culture, and ideology impacted the conquest. I intend to ventilate the factors that influenced the conquest of the Americas, and the extent of the ultimate impact on the natives and colonists.[Bartoleme de Las Casas. Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies. 1542, par.1.]
Undoubtedly, one of the factors that drove the Europeans to conquer America was the quest for wealth. According to Casas, the ultimate aim of the Spaniards, for instance, was to acquire gold and, hence increase their wealth. Apparently, the land of the Indies was as rich in minerals as it was fertile. The quality of the land being arable attracted even more settlers, who came intending to set up plantations. As such, America was geographically appealing to the Europeans. In addition, other European countries, such as France, endeavored to conquer America to set up trade posts. The other motivation behind the colonization of the Americas was to enhance the spread of Christianity. The Europeans felt that they had a moral obligation to spread Christianity to other parts away from Europe. In addition, they saw it as a way of instilling their culture in the natives, which would ease assimilation. Even though majority of the native Indians did not mount any resistance to Christianity, the Europeans used the most callous and ruthless means to subdue and convert them. In some extreme cases, the Indians were massacred in their millions. There is evidence that some native communities viciously re...