European Colonization of the New World

The contact between The Europeans and the
Indigenous Peoples
The Clash of Cultures
The arrival of the Spaniards and the setting up of colonies brought them into
contact with the Tainos who lived in the Greater Antilles. The culture or way
of life of these two groups was so vastly different that their interaction often
resulted in direct conflict. When people from different cultures meet we say
that there is a ‘’clash of culture’’. A clash of cultures between the Tainos and
the Spaniards led to the destruction or the genocide (extermination or near-extermination
of a racial or ethnic group) of the Tainos.

The destruction of the Tainos
The destruction of the Tainos began shortly after Columbus arrived. On his
first voyage, Columbus had left some men behind on the island of Hispaniola
when he returned to Spain. Columbus’ men angered the Tainos by stealing
their crops and interfering with their women. This caused fights to break out
between the Spaniards and Tainos. The Spaniards who were greatly
outnumbered were badly beaten and some of them were killed. On
Columbus’ 2nd voyage, he established a colony called Isabella in Hispaniola.
As soon as Columbus went away, the Spaniards abandoned working on farms
and buildings and forced the Amerindians to provide them with labour.
The Tainos, who were usually a peaceful people, resisted the Spaniards and
came together to fight against them. However, the Spaniards managed to
fight off the Amerindians and on Columbus’ return, they informed him of the
events. Columbus immediately organized his men to fight against the Tainos.
The Tainos with their wooden spears and bows were no match for the
Spaniards with their guns

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Changes faced by the Tainos
Technology
The Spaniards had far superior technology, weapons (guns, steel swords),
tools and other inventions to the Tainos. The Tainos, who were still in the
Stone Age, had bows, arrows, wooden spears, and wooden clubs, were no
match for the Spaniards. The Spaniards also used fierce dogs which could rip
the Tainos into pieces. The Tainos were terrified of the bloodhounds. They
were only accustomed to small barkless dogs. The Spaniards also rode
horses which gave them additional advantage of quick attacks and
withdrawals. The Tainos on foot were no match for the well-armed Spaniards
on horseback.

Enslavement (The Introduction of Amerindian Slavery)
Most of the Spanish colonists had come to colonize the New World, in search
of riches. They had no sympathy for the peaceful Tainos and enslaved them, that
is they forced them to work for the Spaniards. The Tainos were
overworked and poorly fed and many of them died. Others drowned while
diving for pearls for the Spaniards.
The first system of slavery the Tainos were subjected to was called the
Repartimiento System. The Repartimiento System was later extended by
Ovando who was the first governor of Hispaniola from 1502 to 1509. The
new system was called the Encomienda System. Under this system, grants of
Tainos were given to the Spanish Settlers. The Tainos were to work for the
Spaniards who were responsible for Christianizing and educating them.
The Spaniards had no intention of educating the Tainos and the encomienda
system was just a means of obtaining labour from the Tainos. There were no
paid wages and no schools nor churches were built in Taino villages.
Land Ownership
Before the arrival of the Spaniards, land was communally owned. This meant
that land did not belong to individuals but to the entire tribe. Each family was
given to a plot of land to work so they could feed themselves. The coming of
the Spaniards changed the system of land ownership because the Spaniards
took the lands belonging to the Tainos. Most of the land now was privately
owned and the Tainos could no longer use it for their own purposes.

Destruction of food crops

The Tainos were subsistent farmers and depended on their conucos (family
plots) for food. When the adults were taken away as slaves, the children who
were left behind often starved, since they were unable to take care of the
crops and feed themselves. For those Tainos who continued to grow their
crops on the conucos, there was a new problem. The Spaniards often allowed
their cattle to graze on the crops belonging to the Tainos, destroying them.

Government
The Taino system of government was replaced by Spanish rule. The caciques
could no longer protect their people as even the caciques were captured and
killed or enslaved. The Spaniards now demanded that takes be paid to them.
Taxes were paid in gold or in free labour.
Disease
The Spaniards brought many diseases which were new to the Tainos. Since
they had no immunity to these diseases, many of them died quickly.
Diseases such as small pox, measles and even the common flu killed many
Tainos.

Social Changes
Family life was disrupted as adults were taken away and children left on their
own. The frustration and hopelessness felt by many Tainos caused them to
commit suicide. Some of them also practiced infanticide (killing of babies).
They hoped to save them from the cruelty of the Spaniards. The Spaniards
forced the Tainos to accept their religion, manner of dress, and did not allow
them to participate in their festivals.

Survival of Amerindian Culture in the Caribbean
Names
Many places in Trinidad and Tobago still carry Amerindian names. For
example, Caroni and Naparima. Even trees in the forests carry Amerindian
names, e.g. Balata. Many animals have names given by Amerindians, e.g.
iguana, agouti and manicou.
Foods
Foods eaten by the Amerindians included cassava cakes. These were made
by grating the cassava (manioc) and squeezing out the juice before baking
the cassava flour which was left. Today Caribbean people used cassava to
make flour, cassava chips, pone, bakes, and bread. They also made starch.
Apart from cassava, maize (corn) was another staple of the Amerindians. It is
today used in the following ways: corn flour, corn bread, corn pie, corn
starch.
Their rich diet included a variety of fresh fruits, e.g. guava, pawpaw, hog
plum, cashew, and pineapple. They also use sweet potato and a variety of
cooking bananas. The use of hot pepper was common among the
Amerindians. A favourite dish was pepperpot. The Amerindians also made a
sauce called cassareep from cassava juice, salt and pepper. Another
common method of cooking among the Amerindians was barbecuing.
Barbecuing is also an Amerindian word.

European Settlement in the New World
Since Columbus had sailed in the name of the King and Queen and Spain, the
land he ‘’discovered’’ now belonged to Spain. This aroused the jealousy of
the other European nations who were now determined to acquire land for
themselves in the New World.

The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)
In 1493, both Spain and Portugal claimed the East. The Pope, Alexander VI,
issued a Bull, Inter Cetera, dividing the world between Portugal and Spain by
a line 100 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands.
In the Treaty of Tordesillas, Portugal and Spain moved the line of
demarcation to 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. All unclaimed
lands to the east of this line were Portuguese, and to the west were Spanish.
The Europeans established settlements in the New World in the larger
colonies where gold was found, fertile land for growing tropical crops, and
friendly natives were present.

Spain’s Monopoly System

The Spanish Government believed that the wealth of its empire in the
Americas existed solely to increase the power of Spain. This meant that a
monopoly of trade with her colonies and close control over buying and selling
by colonists. All goods produced in the New World had to be exported to
Spain and no other country. Everything the colonists bought had to be
imported from Spain itself and carried in Spanish ships. The Council of the
Indies had supreme control over all the colonies in the New World.
The House of Trade
The House of Trade was established by the Spanish King in 1503 to control
all trade between Spain and her colonies. This was done to protect the trade
and keep out foreigners. All ships coming and going had to leave from and
return to Seville. No ship could leave port or discharge its cargo on arrival
without the permission of the House of Trade. In order to trade with Spanish
territories, a license had to be given by the House of Trade.
The Challenge to Spain’s Monopoly System
European nations were not prepared to accept Spain’s claim to all the wealth
from the New World. The European powers no longer just fought in Europe.
Each country wanted to weaken its rivals by capturing their overseas bases
and interrupting the flow of trading goods: silver and gold. In these ways,
they could damage the rival powers in Europe. The Dutch broke the Spanish
Monopoly.
Pirates and Privateers
The sailors who raided the Spanish ships and settlements were different
types. Some captains went out in their own ships. Others were financed by
merchants or noblemen and sometimes even by the Government. Some
traded slaves and goods as well as raiding. They were given many names
(pirates, seas dogs, freebooters, privateers). In the 16th century, European
countries other than Spain had only small fighting navies. When war broke
out, the governments would take over, or command the merchant ships and
fit them out with guns. They would also issue letters of marque to captains or
merchant ships. The letter gave authority to attack enemy ports and ships.
Captains had to hand over part of their treasure but they could sell the rest.

Colonization of the Americas by European Nations
 1500s- The Spanish Empire claimed the entire Caribbean and most of
Latin America. Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, and Trinidad
were settled.
 (1612)- British colonized Bermuda.
 (1623)- British colonized St. Kitts.
 (1627-1635)- British colonized Barbados, Nevis, Antigua, Montserrat,
Anguilla, Tortola, and the Windward Islands.
 (1635)- French contested colonization of St. Kitts. French colonized
Guadeloupe and Martinique.
 (1655)- English conquered Jamaica.
 (1650-1680)- Dutch colonized Saba, St. Eustatius, Saint Martin, Curacao, Bonaire,
Aruba, Tobago, St. Croix, Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Anguilla, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
 (1664-1674)- St. Eustatius changed hands ten times in British- Dutch
disputes over the island.
 (1697)- Spain ceded Haiti to France. France controlled Tortuga.
 (1750s)- Turks and Caicos captured by the British.
 (1761-1778)- British captured Dominica from France.
 1762-1783)- British and French forces contested for Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines in which Britain won and St. Vincent and the
Grenadines came under British rule.