1. During the age of exploration, many countries set out with the hopes of discovery. This was simply due to the search for monetary gain through learning new trade routes, gold, silver, or new crops. Spain became of one the leading countries in exportation and certainly had one of the greatest impacts. The competition over the new world stemmed from many things. Typically, it was a fight over religion, gold, and fame. Many looking to conquer the new world had cemented religious intolerance, hence the wars that had occurred before especially in nations like Spain. As mentioned previously, many wanted to find new trade routes due to the many problems occurring around the know routes at the time. Finding these new trade routes would give them the capability to have smoother trade as well as new routes to rich cities that had desired items such as silk. At the time, there was almost a competition between Spain and Portugal that caused each country to want to expand and discover more for their country. Portugal’s footing threatened Spain and then they retaliated by sending out Christopher Columbus who is credited for discovering the new world. America was, in fact, a “New World” to the Europeans due to the fact that it was drastically different than what they were used to. The climate and some of the inhabitants were far different than what they were used to. Although America is a country influenced by many, European culture flows through the very essence of what America is. Due to this fact, Europeans affected America in both positive and negative ways. To determine if most of it was negative or positive would depend strictly upon the opinion of the individual, their background, the area they live in, and many more objects.
2. In 1492, Europeans discovered the new world, and soon after the American natives were introduced to them. The Indians had to be shocked due to the reality that they had probably never seen people like the Europeans before. There had to be a level of curiosity and also fear in dealing with someone new coming to your land so suddenly. The conflicts between the natives and Europeans rarely ever were the fault of the natives. The natives had their way of living completely interrupted by the Europeans, which would cause anyone to be in a state of unrest. The Europeans tried to make the natives conform and the natives resented and resisted them for it. This caused the Europeans to get angry and hostility broke out between the two groups. It is clear that the aggressors or agitators of the relationship between the Natives and Europeans were the Europeans. The Europeans came into the situation with a superiority complex, they tried to bend the natives to their will instead of learning to live in harmony. They brought diseases, which killed off about ninety percent of the native population, stole land, disrupted lives, and were overall aggressive in their dealings with the natives despite the natives helping them learn to survive the many different aspects of their land. The relationship between the natives and the Europeans was not always strained and/or hostile. Their interactions started off peacefully and full of curiosity. The natives once helped the colonist survive when they were on the verge of dying out due to their lack of understanding when it came to the new land’s climate and the different crops that resided there. The relationship did not turn hostile until the very people they helped began to dislike their way of life.
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3. The most important of the thirteen colonies was the colony of Massachusetts. The colony of Massachusetts was so successful because its main focus was not on making money. These were mainly people looking for a safe place to practice their religion and live in peace. Due to this fact, most of these people were willing to listen to the natives, and in return, they were able to learn vital skills for their survival. Their biggest concern seemed to be to create a peaceful place to raise Christian children. They even created a government for themselves in which only landowning men could vote in. This colony seems to have been supposed to have been started as a commercial venture to help transfer the wealth of the New World to England but ended up becoming a political statement due to a bad business move. The economy of Massachusetts was heavily based on the things taught to them by the natives. They made most of their money from agriculture, such as fishing, corn, fur, and livestock, and manufacturing, such as lumbering and shipbuilding. The natives were essentially not treated well in any of these colonies and Massachusetts was no different. Due to their religious differences, the Massachusetts colony had a strong dislike for the natives. The colony also wanted more land and that stepped on the toes of the natives. These things combined eventually resulted in a war. Massachusetts colony was the first colony to start having slaves in New England. This colony relied heavily on it. Massachusetts was even involved in what was called the Triangle Trade, which was getting slaves directly from Africa, selling them to the West Indies, and then getting sugar for rum. This colony stands out because of the way that they seemed to be able to set themselves up for success against anything that they saw as against them.
5. The Acts that had the greatest effect on turning the colonist against Britain were The Sugar Act, The Revenue Act, The Navigation Act, and The Stamp Act. The Sugar Act actually decreased the amount of taxes paid on importing things like molasses but with The Revenue Act, the colonist no longer had the ability to be able to smuggle different items in and out. The Revenue Act stated, in combination with the Navigation Act, that wool, hides, and more were now required to go through England rather than directly to where it was meant to be. The Stamp Act required a stamp that needed to be bought through British authority to be on all printed materials. The Stamp Act was the first direct tax put upon the colonies. This particular Act was seen as a threat to the money and freedom of the colonies and ultimately was the final straw that caused tension to reach an all-time high. If this Act was never put into place, there may have never been a revolution, to begin with, because it would mean that the actions that followed may have never happened. There will never be a sure answer. The exact opposite also may have occurred. The colonies seemed to have always wanted their freedom so even if this particular situation had not happened, there still would have been another that caused the colonies to rebel and start the revolution. The colonist was being very reasonable with their request. They simply asked that Britain grant them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The colonist wanted these things to never be able to be taken away by Britain. These demands were basic freedoms and something that all people in the colonies and onward deserved to have.
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