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New Spain Essay
In the 1500's, groups of people from many European countries, especially Spain, set out to find "The New World"-a land full of promise, wealth, and adventure. This group of people eventually settled in Central America, and all was good for a while. Then, one day, they realized that they were not alone. There were "mysterious" Indians in the jungle. Now, since the settlers didn't know any better, they assumed that these Indians were dangerous and must be driven away by any means necessary. At least, that's what some of the settlers thought. Others believed that a lot could be learned from these Natives, after all-it was their land! Other problems were occurring in this "New World" too. Those who held positions of political office began throwing their power around, and the people were beginning to divide themselves based on economic status and social status. Those who were poor, homeless, or native to the land were outcasts within the community while the political and religious leaders enjoyed great popularity, wealth, and respect. People who weren't "in" did not have the same choices, opportunities, or advantages as the people of high status. These are among the reasons that the statement "After discovery and settlement, an individual in New Spain had even fewer choices and opportunities than that person would have had in his or her original culture." is absolutely true.
When the situation in New Spain is viewed from the political aspect, the phrase "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" comes to mind. The conquistadors figured that since they were so far away from their countries (and Kings), they could do whatever they wanted-and so they did exactly that. The rulers in the New World allowed for brutal treatment of the Natives to take place because that was what the settlers wanted, even though it was against the orders of the Kings and Queens back home in Europe. Disease, starvation, and forced labor spread like wildfire among the Natives. They had lost almost all of their freedom. Everything was taken from them-their land, their homes, their families, what little objects of wealth that they had (including their precious gold jewelry), and most importantly, their freedom. The settlers barged in and acted like it was their right to be there and the Natives' way of life was completely changed.
The situation can also be seen from the social aspect. When the settlers came to the Americas, they did not expect to find themselves regarded as outcasts and put on the same level as the "measly" Natives, but this case was all too familiar for many of the settlers. Some of the groups that found themselves isolated from the rest of the community, simply because of their social status, included; the poor Christian missionaries that opposed what the Spanish government was doing to the Natives, the Natives, the imported slaves from Africa, and a small handful of criminals and other assorted rejects. These people were no longer able to make their own decisions, and they did not have all the comforts of an upperclassman. Evidence of their oppression is especially evident in the imported slaves. These people, who had done nothing wrong, were plucked from their homelanRAB and placed in a strange new place with people they did not know and a language that they could not speak. Their lives were stolen from them for no apparent reason, except for that the slave-owners found an easy way out of handling the chores.
There is also the economic perspective of this situation. For the most part, the settlers in New Spain were all wealthy and comfortable. They lead easy lifestyles and spent much of their time relaxing or attending social functions. At the opposite end of the spectrum were the settlers who were not as well off. They did not have the same opportunities as the wealthy people because in order to gain political and religious support, it was required to give some sort of "donation" to the person who's support was needed. In the Christian missionary communities, all money was shared so everyone was equal. This was not the case in the settlements and so there was a lot of jealousy and hatred going around. This jealousy and hatred over wealth almost destroyed the new colonies and it also helped establish an unfair balance of power amongst the people.
In conclusion, it is absolutely correct to say, "After discovery and settlement, an individual in New Spain had even fewer choices and opportunities than that person would have had in his or her original culture." Everyone was far better off before the Spanish invaded Central America and tried to take control of the land. The senseless abuse of power exhibited by so many of the conquistadors not only limited the decisions of surrounding groups of people, it helped to set the Spanish up for failure.
In the 1500's, groups of people from many European countries, especially Spain, set out to find "The New World"-a land full of promise, wealth, and adventure. This group of people eventually settled in Central America, and all was good for a while. Then, one day, they realized that they were not alone. There were "mysterious" Indians in the jungle. Now, since the settlers didn't know any better, they assumed that these Indians were dangerous and must be driven away by any means necessary. At least, that's what some of the settlers thought. Others believed that a lot could be learned from these Natives, after all-it was their land! Other problems were occurring in this "New World" too. Those who held positions of political office began throwing their power around, and the people were beginning to divide themselves based on economic status and social status. Those who were poor, homeless, or native to the land were outcasts within the community while the political and religious leaders enjoyed great popularity, wealth, and respect. People who weren't "in" did not have the same choices, opportunities, or advantages as the people of high status. These are among the reasons that the statement "After discovery and settlement, an individual in New Spain had even fewer choices and opportunities than that person would have had in his or her original culture." is absolutely true.
When the situation in New Spain is viewed from the political aspect, the phrase "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" comes to mind. The conquistadors figured that since they were so far away from their countries (and Kings), they could do whatever they wanted-and so they did exactly that. The rulers in the New World allowed for brutal treatment of the Natives to take place because that was what the settlers wanted, even though it was against the orders of the Kings and Queens back home in Europe. Disease, starvation, and forced labor spread like wildfire among the Natives. They had lost almost all of their freedom. Everything was taken from them-their land, their homes, their families, what little objects of wealth that they had (including their precious gold jewelry), and most importantly, their freedom. The settlers barged in and acted like it was their right to be there and the Natives' way of life was completely changed.
The situation can also be seen from the social aspect. When the settlers came to the Americas, they did not expect to find themselves regarded as outcasts and put on the same level as the "measly" Natives, but this case was all too familiar for many of the settlers. Some of the groups that found themselves isolated from the rest of the community, simply because of their social status, included; the poor Christian missionaries that opposed what the Spanish government was doing to the Natives, the Natives, the imported slaves from Africa, and a small handful of criminals and other assorted rejects. These people were no longer able to make their own decisions, and they did not have all the comforts of an upperclassman. Evidence of their oppression is especially evident in the imported slaves. These people, who had done nothing wrong, were plucked from their homelanRAB and placed in a strange new place with people they did not know and a language that they could not speak. Their lives were stolen from them for no apparent reason, except for that the slave-owners found an easy way out of handling the chores.
There is also the economic perspective of this situation. For the most part, the settlers in New Spain were all wealthy and comfortable. They lead easy lifestyles and spent much of their time relaxing or attending social functions. At the opposite end of the spectrum were the settlers who were not as well off. They did not have the same opportunities as the wealthy people because in order to gain political and religious support, it was required to give some sort of "donation" to the person who's support was needed. In the Christian missionary communities, all money was shared so everyone was equal. This was not the case in the settlements and so there was a lot of jealousy and hatred going around. This jealousy and hatred over wealth almost destroyed the new colonies and it also helped establish an unfair balance of power amongst the people.
In conclusion, it is absolutely correct to say, "After discovery and settlement, an individual in New Spain had even fewer choices and opportunities than that person would have had in his or her original culture." Everyone was far better off before the Spanish invaded Central America and tried to take control of the land. The senseless abuse of power exhibited by so many of the conquistadors not only limited the decisions of surrounding groups of people, it helped to set the Spanish up for failure.