ipl-logo

American Colonialism Pros And Cons

520 Words3 Pages

While the question of whether the impact of European colonists on American Indians is a historical or moral issue is a tough one to solve, it is something that should be addressed. There were many wonderful outcomes of European colonization, yet Indians did suffer greatly from some of these colonial achievements. There is a way to acknowledge the positive outcomes of colonization, while at the same time not disavowing the legitimacy of the trials Indians faced: treating this careful balance as a historical question. This is simply the most obvious way to address both topics in a clear, concise way. When someone mentions European colonization, what is the first thing that would come to a person’s mind? Voluntary and forced migration, the Columbian Exchange, flourishing trade, and the spread of religion from settlers to American Indians are just a few of the most prominent impacts that came from colonization. As will all, there are positives and negatives to all these impacts that were made. The Columbian Exchange brought many new wonderful opportunities to indigenous …show more content…

This is how humanity learns from history. As this essay has shown, treating the pros versus cons of European colonialism as simply a moral matter is not the best way to analyze and learn from history. One must aim to view the outcomes of both groups’ actions as objectively as possible, so that they can observe what helped one group and hindered the other. The question as to whether treat these events as wholly a moral question or wholly a historical question has an evident answer: the events should be considered as historical questions. This is simply the most obvious way to address both topics in a clear, concise

Show More
Related

  • Western Expansion Dbq

    325 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the period 1860-1890, western expansion negatively impacted the lives of Native Americans, by turning their lives upside-down under the order of the orders of the federal government. I say this because The Americans massacred the friendly Indians, Disrespected the culture and beliefs by slaughtering the buffalo, and Forcing Indians to assimilate to American culture. Native Americans were negatively impacted by Americans because of the western expansion and in doing so it lead to the incorrect assumption which in fact lead to the massacre of friendly Indians. In the morning of November 29th Colonel Chivington allowed a surprise attack on the friendly native americans which lead to the death of mostly women and children. The Native

    Read More

  • The Red Shoe Chapter Summary

    359 Words  | 2 Pages

    4) The spread of diseases like small pox via the interaction between Europeans and Amerindians was essential in European conquest of the western hemisphere because it led to changed social, economic, and political relations in Europe and also created diversity and new cultures. 5) Positive impacts of the Columbian Exchange on Europe, the Americas, and Africa was the spread of domesticated livestock and major agricultural crops of the Old World into the Americas, and the staple crops of the New World that enriched and benefited the agriculture. 6) The negative impacts caused by the Columbian Exchange on Europe, the Americas, and Africa was mainly the transfer of plants and animals.

    Read More

  • Christopher Columbus And Their Motives Of The Indians Summary

    802 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gabby Ryals SPAN 322 Prof. Ebacher Exam 1 Columbus and Las Casas and Their Motives of the Indians For a long time, European exploration and colonization of the Americas have been a source of fascination and controversy. The conflicting views of the indigenous peoples of Christopher Columbus and Bartolomé de Las Casas are particularly compelling. By examining their conflicting views, readers can shed light on and better understand the indigenous experience during the colonial era and the long-term effects of European colonization. This article will take an in-depth look at the views of both figures and their influence on the colonial era. It is essential to thoroughly examine the history and culture of this region, and it is essential to approach

    Read More

  • The Columbian Exchange: Mistreatment By Europeans And Native Americans

    109 Words  | 1 Pages

    I enjoyed reading your discussion post. The Columbian Exchange was considered to be unique as far as the valuable products, and then it was not so good because of the serious illness took over rapidly. Indians were really in danger at the time of the exchange, because smallpox was affecting them and causing them to decrease in population. Not only was smallpox a hender, but along with syphilis. On the other hand Europe had prosper by gaining medicine, crops, animals, and more.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of European Colonization

    725 Words  | 3 Pages

    The motivations of the European colonization were their greed to find new source of gold and used the new world as a dumping ground for convict and potentially dangerous lower classes. European came and brought diseases, which killed about 80 percent of the Indians. The Spanish arrived in the West Indies in 1492 caused the devastation if the Indians. They killed and enslaved the Indians and exploited the tribute in the form of gold taken from streams.

    Read More

  • How Did Native Americans Contribute To The Rise Of Industrialization

    537 Words  | 3 Pages

    This topic was one of the many topics that I found quite interesting. When Europeans first arrived at the shores of the Americas, their main motivation was to find new land filled with riches, golden cities, and opportunities, and establish ideal communities based on the lives of early Christian saints. Many European settlers each had their own motivation to explore but they ultimately wanted one thing, access to more money. They treated people who were already living on that land as mere means to get what they wanted. The Columbian exchange was the stepping stone for the rise of industrialization in the new

    Read More

  • The Moral Effects Of The Columbian Exchange

    830 Words  | 4 Pages

    Historians differ on what they think about the net result of the European arrival in the New World. Considering that the Columbian Exchange, which refers to “exchange of plants, animals, people, disease, and culture between Afro-Eurasia and the Americas after Columbus sailed to the Americas in 1492,” led to possibly tens of millions of deaths on the side of the American Indians, but also enabled agricultural and technological trade (Henretta et al. 42), I cannot help but reflect on whether the effects should be addressed as a historical or a moral question. The impact that European contact had on the indigenous populations of North America should be understood as a moral question because first, treating it as a historical question is difficult due to lack of reliable historical evidence; second, the meaning of compelling historical claims is contestable as the academic historian perspective tends to view the American Indian oral history as invalid; and finally, what happened to the native Indians is morally repulsive and must be discussed as such. The consequences of European contact should be answered as a moral question because historically, it is hard to be historically objective in the absence of valid and dependable historical evidence.

    Read More

  • How Did The Columbian Exchange Affect Native Americans

    598 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the late 1400s and the early 1500s, European expeditioners began to explore the New World. Native Americans, who were living in America originally, were much different than the Europeans arriving at the New World; they had a different culture, diet, and religion. Eventually, both the Native Americans and the European colonists exchanged different aspects of their life. For example, Native Americans gave the Europeans corn, and the Europeans in return gave them modern weapons, such as various types of guns. This type of trade was called “the Columbian Exchange.”

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Westward Expansion On Native Americans

    847 Words  | 4 Pages

    Native Americans flourished in North America, but over time white settlers came and started invading their territory. Native Americans were constantly being thrown and pushed off their land. Sorrowfully this continued as the Americans looked for new opportunities and land in the West. When the whites came to the west, it changed the Native American’s lives forever. The Native Americans had to adapt to the whites, which was difficult for them.

    Read More

  • Positive And Negative Impacts Of The Columbian Exchange

    574 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the early 1400’s European exploration initiated changes in technology, farming, disease and other cultural things ultimately impacting the Native Americans and Europeans. Throughout Columbus’ voyages, he initiated the global exchange that changed the world. The exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Old and New World began soon after Columbus returned to Spain from the Americas. These changes had multiple effects, that were both positive and negative. Although the Columbian Exchange had numerous benefits and drawbacks but the drawbacks outweighs the benefits.

    Read More

  • The Indian Removal Act: The Negative Impact On The Native Americans

    1105 Words  | 5 Pages

    When the Europeans began colonizing the New World, they had a problematic relationship with the Native Americans. The Europeans sought to control a land that the Natives inhabited all their lives. They came and decided to take whatever they wanted regardless of how it affected the Native Americans. They legislated several laws, such as the Indian Removal Act, to establish their authority. The Indian Removal Act had a negative impact on the Native Americans because they were driven away from their ancestral homes, forced to adopt a different lifestyle, and their journey westwards caused the deaths of many Native Americans.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of American Imperialism

    1764 Words  | 8 Pages

    As America became a great power, it has continued its legacy of territorial expansionism through neo-imperialist policies. Aside from acquiring land and expanding American territory, the United States has established policies that have allowed direct and often indirect military and political control, economic exploitation, and the introduction of American ideals. The U.S. has justified this form of colonialism by claiming that it is for mutual economic pursuits, the spreading of democracy, and the establishment of stable governments in developing countries. Despite America’s noble causes, American imperialism has caused many repercussions. The United States should cease to be an imperialist power as it is economically damaging to countries under its rule, costly to America, violates the fundamental American principle of self-governance, and exacerbates social and political situations in countries America has tampered with.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast American Imperialism

    463 Words  | 2 Pages

    Colonialism and Imperialism affected our world both positively and negatively. On one hand, Imperialism has often been linked with racial segregation, manipulation, and hardship. On the other, it has been said that many colonial powers contributed much in terms of schools, roads, railways, and much more. Whether this time period was constructive or harmful, it has played a large part in shaping our lives today. European Imperialism started long before the 1800’s.

    Read More

  • Native American Colonization Pros And Cons

    238 Words  | 1 Pages

    This paper will show the pros and cons of colonization and how it changed the world forever. When it comes to who benefited from colonization, the Europeans were the main ones. They gained wealth, land, power, and colonies that helped them better establish their nation. Two

    Read More

  • Positive And Negative Effects Of American Colonization

    117 Words  | 1 Pages

    While the colonization of the America’s was negative for many reasons such as the spread of illnesses, and the forcing of religion upon natives, it was also beneficial to the Native’s because it allowed them to have better weapons and to have different foods and goods in their lives. The Europeans exposed the Natives to many new diseases once they colonized the new areas they discovered. The Europeans greatly impacted the family life and religion of the inhabitants of the areas they found. There was also a lot of exchange going on during the conquest of the Americas because the Natives were excited by the new gadgets they had never seen before that the Europeans brought over.

    Read More

More about American Colonialism Pros And Cons

Open Document