Answer to Question #167102 in History for Randi

Question

How and why did the Spanish and French differ in their treatment of native inhabitants of the land they colonized

Answer 1

Spanish colonization differed from French colonization due to factors that favored their colonizing efforts in order to gain control over the continent (Herling, 2020). These differences affected the New World’s fate positively and negatively. In the treatment of American Indians for example, the main difference between the two colonial powers is that the Spanish forced the natives to convert to their faith to Christianity while the on the other hand the French related well with them (DeCoster, 2019). In terms of trade, the French depended mainly on Fur trade but the Spanish depended on sugar trade. Another difference is that the French treated the natives as economic partners but did not integrate them into their society, while the Spanish used them economically and also integrated them into their society .Speaking of settlement, Spanish colonies were tensely populated and developed compared to that of French (Herling, 2020). These ones were sparsely populated and less developed in terms of economic progress.

 

References

DeCoster, J. (2019). “Aid from the Indians Themselves”: Native Rivalries, Spanish Precedent, and French and English Colonialism. Terrae Incognitae, 51(2), 111-130.

Herling, S. (2020). Spanish and French colonial toponyms in the territory of present-day USA (16th to 18th century). Advances in Comparative Colonial Toponomastics, 14, 25.