Paola Vera Diversity has always caused an issue throughout history and unfortunately still does today. During the 15,00th the Spaniard’s explored the peninsula for gold and although they did find gold they also found a whole new world they were not prepared for. The Spaniards did not approve of the religion the Mayans practice nor the life styles they lived. As “missionaries” they took it upon themselves to colonize the Indians and convert them to Christianity. Granted the sacrifice did not seem humane or logical in some cases but using humans as slaves was also not the right thing to do. The outcome of the Spaniards taking over the Mayans led to many blood and tears being shed and a gruesome history to be told today. Gold has always been …show more content…
As the Spaniards proceeded to travel around the peninsula and other places they influenced the Mayans and also the Mayans influenced the Spaniards. When the Spaniards settled on the peninsula and formed their idealism amongst the Indians, the Indians had to obey the daily and weekly routine of learning the word of god but not in their native language. The Spaniards and Indians were always bumping heads out in the open and also behind doors. The Spaniards enforced curfew to stop the village gatherings, so they cannot have time to turn against the Spaniards. The result of this led to native chiefs pretending to be Christian teachers and while each baptism occurred they will tell the children they will die early for baptizing into Christianity. Children were soon hidden from the friars in fear and this caused even more tension between Indians and the Spaniards for years. Aside from the Indians being torn away from their religion, their daily routine of providing food for their villages were also taken away. There was a massive die off of Indians due to starvation when the Spaniards forcefully migrated the Indians out of the jungle and into a village where other Indians were forced to move into. These changes could only benefit one or the other and in most cases it was mainly the Spaniards who got their way. Although the Indians still managed to work around the rules, over time the effort to continue their practices will die down as the new generation are raised under the Spaniards belt. It’s unfortunate to see a civilization undergo such harsh treatment because their way of living does not follow what the “bible”
Native American civilization was not always a pit of terror and agonizing torture for every single being. The Spanish arrived in Hispaniola, during the early 1500, with the seemingly good intention of introducing to the indigenous the Christian faith. Unfortunately, their mission turned into an almost complete annihilation of a culture unlike their own. Bartolome de la Casas, depicts a graphic and ultimately disturbing castings of the happenings during their expedition. The Spanish Christians involved in these happenings can be seen as hypocritical, heartless, and close minded. Although, in the minds of these men, they were completing their God assigned duties, such as
Bartolome de las casas had hoped to prevent further harm to Indians, and clarify that they were not barbarians. Of the text named Bartolome de las casas: In Defense of the Indians(c.1550) it covers what is to be the Spanish Conquistadores, and talks of the natives to which at the time seen by many are barbaric, ignorant, incapable of learning, just another group of people to be conquered. But to the Catholic missionaries, they see the Natives as new people to influence and enlighten. But if at any time the person drops the belief in Christianity, they would use deadly force against the person or family. Adding to that, Hernán comments that their cities are “ worth of admiration because of their buildings, which are like those of Venice”(Poole 4).
Differences between cultures are not something new. Many of us can still see it in our daily lives. Four hundred years ago two very distinctly different cultures clashed in what we call the American Southwest. The Spanish presence brought new ideas, new culture, and new way of life to the new found Americas much to the demise of the already settled native tribes. Already having controlled much of Mexico and South America, problems were rising in the outskirts of New Spain. Secular and religious authorities were in conflict and the ever growing animosity of its aboriginal tribe made it difficult to maintain Spanish control. Though, for four generations the Spaniards had begun to feel successful in their endeavors of New Mexico. In early August, the sedentary and nomadic tribes banned together and overthrow the Spanish authority. There are many angles needed to be addressed in order to see why this happened. Historians and anthropologists have been trying to go beyond the bias history to uncover what happen. In the book “What Caused the Pueblo Revolt of 1680”, historians try to answer this question, some theories hold more pull then others in terms of what and why. Through reading this anthology I believe the revolt happened for cultural and religious reasons because the Spaniards were threatening the indigenous people’s very way of life through violence, exploitation of land/resources (food), and demoralization of their old ways and practices.
Finally, when it came down to the types of ceremonies and views both civilizations had, they were on two different pages. The Natives believed happiness was the key to good fortune. So, in order to get that fortune, they’d do sacrifices, and rituals to please the “mighty ones”. Then, as stated in the book “A History of Latin America”, it says, “Jews publicly converted to Christianity to avoid the torture…”, In which, this showed how religion and the spiritual views were forced upon people in the Spanish civilization.
... god. Religious meeting were held in secrecy in the homes of members of the church, mainly female members of the church. Amalia risked her freedom by holding a meeting in her home. (p232) Both the Ladinos and the Indians believed that they were being punished by their gods for the sufferings they experienced. The Mayans believed that they were being punished by their gods for the suffering their people were experiencing at the hands of the Europeans. “They came, who were destined to come; haughty and hard of manner and strong of voice, such were the instruments of our chiding”. (Castellanos, year, p 56) The religious rites and customs practised by the indigenous people were constructed by Europeans as “lies and deceptions which the devil had invented” (Tignor et al 2002, p97) They were to worship only the Christian God instead of bowing to their many idols.
The Spanish began their movement to Southwest America in the late sixteenth century. From that point on, their influence both on the Native Americans and the environment was extraordinaire. The goal of the Spaniards with regards to the Native Americans was to transform them “into tax-paying Christians.” This is in contrast to the idea that their goal was to eradicate the Indians form the Americas. Consequently, the Spaniards took many Indians so that they may plant their religion in the Natives and to use them as cheap labor. This led many Indians to learn the customs and language of the Spaniards so they could to be able to thrive in the Spanish culture. Thus, some Natives acquired Spanish, which was the main source of their Hispanicization; this was the notion of Indians becoming encompassed by the Spanish society. Furthermore, Indians gradually learned skills, obtained land, and sometimes found Hispanic spouses, thus furthering their Hispanicization. They now began to live in a Spanish manner and blend into the bottom of the Spanish societal ladder. This “acculturation” of the Native Americans was in contrast to the models of early English colonization. Spanish goals and plans sought to involve the Indians so that they may live in their society even if at the lower end of it’s ladder. English colonies viewed the Natives as savages and looked to them for slave labor or to rape their women. They did not plan to take the Indians into their society as the Spaniards did so throughout this era.
Surely millions of people should be able to defend themselves from outside invaders. However, that wasn’t possible for them. By 1900, only 300,000 of the population remained. Around the time the Natives encountered the Europeans, they suffered from diseases and bloodshed. Later on they were forced by the Spaniards to convert to a new religion, Christianity.
Mexican civilization is very much affected due its contact. with France, New Orleans of the USA.”Design, style and gastronomy are expressions that show the vibe of Yucatan, sentiment relevance more than its personal kingdom.”(4).
... convert them by any means necessary. The idea that conversion made for a bettering of the people also aided in taking to harsh treatment. As for the actions taken against the natives, violence, murder, and rape were among the many. Such acts are fairly barbaric, not expected of a civilized society. Also, these actions are contradictory to Christian doctrine making them even more controversial.
It wasn’t until the Indians were being mistreated that the retaliations began. The Spanish were quicker to mistreat the Indians than the English. Their rule, as per Columbus, was predominately using the Indians as workers, planters, builders, and basically slaves. Pretty quickly, the Spanish began to bully the Indians to do their dirty work and also convert them to the preferred Christian religion. According to Taylor, the English and the Spanish were similar in their treatment of the Natives. Both wanting them to change beliefs, used whatever force they deemed necessary. The English, in particular had troubles with the Powhatan Indians and the Spanish with the Pueblo Indians. This forced conversions and brutality is what later caused extreme problems and conflicts between the Natives and the
All through the history of the world there have been superior civilizations that have taken over other groups and have forced them in to situations that would seem unimaginable to the most people today. The same situation once happened to the native people that live in what today is considered the south west of the United States. In 1550 Francisco Vásquez de Coronado led a Spanish conquest in the Rio Grande valley the area that a number of pueblo people made this area there home and sacred lands. With Coronado eading the way the gate was opened to the rest of the Spaniard who were looking for their share of fame and riches. After Coronado fruitless search of the seven cities of gold, then Juan de Oñate decided to try his luck in the southwest. Oñates was equipped with a different type of help other than the usual conquistadores, he was came along with at group of Franciscans. With the Spaniard in search for God, Gold and Glory they quickly realized that there was no Gold or Glory in the South west and the viceroy in Mexico quickly came to the conclusion to withdraw and give more of there attention to the other more lucrative areas of there empire. But there seemed to be one small probel the God part of the god, gold and glory, the Franciscans that came up with Oñates objected to the idea of leaving. The Franciscan view it as their duty to convert the natives who in their eyes where living in sin and would go to hell if the friars would not intervene and show them the way to salvation.
Once settled down the English and Spanish went in two different directions in regard to their religion. The Spanish conquistadors’ and friars’ in the southwest wanted to spread christianity to anyone they could. The Spanish would conqueror Native American tribes and force christianity upon them. To the Spanish in the southwest they just wanted the Native Americans’ to have some type of Christian beliefs. The Puritans’ however were very strict about following their values. For instance, Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams were both banished from the colony for going against their official teachings. As well, as being less tolerate, the Puritans’ were not as aggressive as forcing their religion onto Native Americans’. Other than praying towns, the Puritans’ did not force their beliefs on to the Native Americans’ who lived around them. The Spanish on the other hand sought out Native Americans’ to convert them. The Spanish, after conquering a tribe or ransacking a village, would force the Native Americans’ to convert. If they refused they would use the encomienda system to convert them. The encomienda system was a Spanish practice, where they enslaved Native Americans who refused to convert to Christianity. The conquistadors’ would force them to mine gold and silver until death or conversion. How they Spanish and Puritans’ managed their religion reflected on how the two interacted with Natives. The two differed in their treatment toward Native Americans’ with the intimate relationships they had with them. In the southwest many Spaniards would marry Native American women and bear children called mestizos. In Massachusetts, however it was unheard of to have any type of intimate relations between whites and Native Americans.
One of the biggest intuitions the Spanish created were the missions for the thousands of native people. Father Junipero Sierra help establish missions all along the California coast with the first being in San Diego becoming a spiritual leader of the Scared Expedition. The mission was spaced out to be a day’s ride apart. While the missions did a lot of good they also were also atrocious towards many of the native people occupying the land. The Spanish’s goal was to convert the native people to Christianity by any force necessary. They wanted to assimilate the Indian people into their culture to be loyal to Spain all the while turning them into
Many civilizations have similar qualities as other civilizations, but they also have their differences. Some of these differences include: Religion, Geography, and Government. These three things were a big part of any civilization. Two civilizations had many different things and many similar things. These civilizations are The Maya and The Romans. The Romans had a very unique and interesting culture, The Maya were also very interesting and different. Even though they were unique in their own way, they also had many similar qualities.
Cabeza de Vaca’s Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America shows that while Christians thought themselves superior to natives, both sides were diverse and could commit good, bad, or neutral behavior towards each other. Therefore, the Indians and the Christians were much more similar than different. This is apparent in de Vaca’s accounts of Indian to Indian behavior, Christian to Christian behavior, and Indian to Christian behavior (and vice-versa).