Overview
This section examines the varied impacts of colonization on the Americas and Europe, focusing on differences in colonial societies, the development of slavery, and changes to indigenous and European life.
Differences in Colonial Societies
- Colonial societies in the Americas were structured unequally, with different social pyramids in New Spain and plantation colonies.
- In New Spain, social class was determined mainly by bloodline, ranking full-blooded Spanish at the top.
- Mestizos (mixed Spanish and Native/African ancestry) occupied a middle status, with Native Americans and enslaved Africans at the bottom.
- Plantation economies in the Caribbean and Southern English colonies prioritized race, with land-owning whites on top and enslaved Africans at the bottom.
- English plantation societies had small populations of Native Americans and free Africans, both with minimal privilege.
- New England colonies had a different social pyramid, based on factors like religion and education rather than race or slavery.
The Rise and Transformation of Slavery
- Slavery became a defining institution in all colonial societies, notably in plantation economies.
- The Royal African Company held an English monopoly on the slave trade from the late 1600s.
- Initially, Portugal dominated the Atlantic slave trade, followed by the Dutch, and later the English.
- Slavery in the New World changed by becoming chattel (property-based), race-based, permanent, heritable (by the mother's status), and vastly larger in scale.
- Slaves resisted through escape, forming maroon communities, especially in rural areas and the Caribbean.
- The Middle Passage was the deadly journey of enslaved Africans to the Americas, with up to 25% dying en route.
Impacts on Indigenous Peoples
- European colonization transformed Native American life through the introduction of iron tools, muskets, and new textiles.
- Native economies adapted by trading furs for European goods and increased production of traditional goods like wampum.
- Christianity spread among Native Americans, especially in Spanish and French colonies.
- Disease brought by Europeans killed about 75% of the Native population.
- Mourning wars emerged as tribes attempted to replenish populations lost to disease.
Environmental and Economic Changes
- Introduction of European crops (e.g., wheat) and American crops (e.g., tobacco, chocolate) transformed global diets and economies.
- Plantation agriculture in the New World was geared toward cash crop export, increasing demand for enslaved labor.
- European concepts of private property and land enclosure led to conflicts with Native Americans.
- Overhunting of animals such as beaver occurred due to demand for European trade goods.
- New medicines were discovered from native plants and knowledge.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Social Pyramid — a visual representation of social hierarchy in a society.
- Chattel Slavery — a form of slavery where people are treated as property.
- Royal African Company — English company granted monopoly over the slave trade.
- Middle Passage — the transatlantic journey of enslaved Africans to the Americas.
- Maroon Communities — settlements formed by escaped slaves.
- Mestizo — a person of mixed Spanish and Native American or African descent.
- Mourning Wars — conflicts by Native tribes to replace population lost to disease.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the concept of the Columbian Exchange and its impacts.
- Understand key differences in colonial societies’ structures.
- Study how slavery evolved in the Atlantic world.
- Read textbook examples of the Middle Passage and maroon communities.