Question

compare the treatment of the indigenous peoples by the spanish in mexico, the portuguese in brazil, and the french and british in north america

Answer 1

The treatment of indigenous peoples by the Spanish in Mexico, the Portuguese in Brazil, and the French and British in North America varied. The Spanish incorporated indigenous people to some extent, while the Portuguese engaged in violent skirmishes and slavery. The French and British displaced and marginalized the indigenous peoples.

Step-by-step explanation:

The treatment of indigenous peoples by the Spanish in Mexico, the Portuguese in Brazil, and the French and British in North America differed in several ways.

In Mexico, the Spanish encountered wealthy, urbanized cultures like that of the Aztec empire in Tenochtitlan. The Spanish initially sought to subdue the indigenous peoples through conquest and colonization, often resorting to violence and enslavement. However, as the Spanish established their colonial rule, they also incorporated the indigenous people into their society to some extent, demanding tribute and conversion to Catholicism but also providing protection and allowing them to challenge Spanish landowners in court.

In Brazil, the Portuguese encountered a different situation. Many of the indigenous peoples in Brazil were either nomadic or semi-sedentary. The initial contact between the Portuguese and the native forest peoples was often peaceful, but when the Portuguese came into contact with tribes like the Tupi, they engaged in violent skirmishes and enslaved the native population.

In North America, the treatment of indigenous peoples by the French and the British was characterized by a policy of displacement and removal. The British claimed ownership of the land and pushed the indigenous peoples out, while the French focused on building trade relationships and establishing a fur trade in the North American frontier. Both colonial powers generally disregarded the rights and well-being of the indigenous peoples.

Answer 2

The correct answer is: Christopher Columbus’ landing on the island of Hispaniola in 1492 was reported to Queen Isabella of Spain and she decreed that the natives were equal to all her other subjects including the Spaniards themselves. They were to be treated equally and not to be enslaved. They had to be Christianized and Europeanized. Notwithstanding, Columbus violated these commands from the beginning and he created stress between the Crown and the field behavior. Columbus' first illegal act was to ship Indians to Spain as slaves. When Queen Isabella learned this, she ordered that the Indians be sent back to Hispaniola but Columbus' men had continued their practice of brutalizing Indians. Indians tried to rebel after some time and those that survived the repression of rebellion were imprisoned and were forced to work. In addition to the enslavement Columbus started a practice called tribute in which each Indian was required to pay a certain amount of gold and if they failed, they were sentenced to death. Catholic priests tried to bring Spaniards and Indians together which resulted in second class caste of Spaniards called the mestizos and a set of social inconciliable social issues. Opposite to that, English settlers did not try to bring the Indians into their society or brutalize them. There were some similarities between both experiences as the British sought to enslave Indians without success, and Puritans also tried to Christianize them but not as diligently as the Spanish. Trade and land ownership concepts were totally different to Natives which led to misunderstandings and often resulted in conflict, but Indians were never brutalized or slaved.