Question

Briefly describe ONE specific historical difference between the role of religion in Spanish colonization and in the colonization of New England in the British colonies.

Answer 1

The Spanish colonization was driven by Catholic conversion and sometimes protected Native Americans legally, while the Puritan New England colonies sought religious freedom and autonomy, and were less focused on indigenous conversion.

Step-by-step explanation:

One specific historical difference between the role of religion in Spanish colonization and in the colonization of New England in the British colonies was the overarching religious objectives and treatment of indigenous peoples. The Spanish were driven primarily by a Catholic imperative, which included the conversion and often subjugation of Native Americans within the framework of their empire. Catholicism was a state religion, and the Spanish Crown heavily supported the missionary endeavors. Spanish missions were established not only for conversion but also as a means of integrating natives into colonial society, sometimes protecting them legally in return for tribute and conversion to Christianity.

In contrast, the British New England colonies, especially populated by Puritans and Pilgrims, were founded upon a desire for religious freedom and the practice of their own faith without interference from the Church of England or the Catholic Church. Unlike the inclusionary Spanish approach, the British were generally less inclined to convert Indigenous peoples and instead often sought to segregate or remove them to practice their religion amongst themselves. The New England colonies established a society centered around Puritanism, a form of Protestantism, with religious governance largely separate from interference by the British crown, emphasizing the individual congregation's autonomy.

Answer 2

The Spanish aimed to convert and integrate the Native Americans into their Catholic colonial society, whereas the Puritans in New England sought to create a religiously homogeneous community, often excluding indigenous people.

Step-by-step explanation:

One specific historical difference between the role of religion in Spanish colonization and in the colonization of New England in the British colonies was the approach to converting and integrating the indigenous populations.

While the Spanish sought to convert Native Americans to Catholicism and included them in their colonial project, often protecting or tolerating them within the colonial society as long as they paid tribute and at least pretended to be Catholic, the British in New England, notably the Puritans, were motivated by a desire to live according to their strict religious beliefs and to create a community governed by those beliefs, which sometimes led to intolerance towards other faiths and exclusion of the indigenous people.