Nulisch-Oakes 1

Emily Nulisch, Lindsey Oakes

Bennett-Martin
Humanities II
20 January 2016
Pro-Colonialism
Beginning in an era where much of the historical occurrences originated in the
Eastern hemisphere, the innovative idea and eventual world phenomena known as
colonialism came into effect and immensely transformed the world. Colonialism first
took its stand during the late 1400s, when Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese explorer, linked
the Atlantic ocean and India for the very first time. This initial movement of exploration
and expansion influenced the desire for Europeans to begin their arduous journey and
eventual encounter with the Americas. Along with their settlement of Jamestown in North
America in 1607 and explorations of Southern America throughout the 1500s, a conflict
occurred involving natives that predominantly occupied the territory that Europeans
claimed as their own. Despite conquering and culturally overpowering many natives, it
was necessary for European expansion to gain precedence, for with this advancement in a
global perspective, a different future with a plethora of opportunities would alter the
course of history with new innovations and ideologies.
European expansion and colonization was crucial for the development of a
successful global market with universal relations and the trade physical commodities. In
trade routes such as the Columbian Exchange, silver and gold were both essential to the
economy of the Afro-Eurasian world. Silver and gold became a large, worldwide
currency that instigated relations and market economies that wholly depended on these

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precious metals (Bailey/Bhaopichitr 162). Without the mass exporting of gold and silver,
aided by the implementation of slavery, Eurasia would not have achieved the current
level of development and economic success. Because of this globalized currency from
colonial exports, an increase in trade was a result, solely responsible for the extensive
networks of exchange that are present today, offering the world a higher level of
development. The establishment of colonies and their interactions with natives also led to
the production and exchange of crops. Peppers, maize, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and
squash became popular exports back to Europe, in exchange for wheat, rye, barley oats,
and millet for Native Americans. Without the addition of these crops to Eurasian diets,
culinary tradition and overall health would be simply regional, without the necessary
implementation of different food supplements found in squash, maize, and other
influential crops. Developing a vast plantation empire was essential to the successful
development of the New World, and the emerging status of Europe as a global power,
attracting rich merchants and strengthening Englands commerce & naval industries to a
dominant position (Menard 312). The advancement of Europe positively impacted the
rest of the world by spreading the products of the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical
Revolutions through the networks of global exchange and contributing to the further
modernization of the rest of the globe. With immense physical and material gain of both
Europe and the Americas, the regions coexisted with a global communications system
that enabled them to positively share goods and improve the lives of everyday society
with these products.
The vast colonization of European powers across the New World served to create
new and syncretic cultures among the natives, opening them to a more civilized,

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technological way life. Influences from Europeans led to intermarriages between natives
and foreigners. These interactions created different social systems based on who became
affiliated with whom in terms of parentage. Parental lineage determined if one was
creole, mulatto, or mestizo, just to name a few. Without these introductions of a social
system, much of the development would be behind in society without colonialism.
Religion derived from the spread of colonialism also became an extremely powerful
influence over Native Americans. One of the primary reasons for colonialism to occur
was the missionary desire to spread religion to different peoples. Over time, people began
to occupy different regions of North America to escape religious persecution and spread
their faith freely. Communication also became a large part of the development of the
relationship between settlers and Indians. Colonization spread alliances, conflict,
negotiation, and dialogue (Abreu 373). These relationships were exactly where exactly
what colonization promoted and improved the lives of many people. Trade also became a
large factor that promoted this relationship and phenomenon that changed the lives of
settlers and Native Americans alike. The exchange of ideas and tangible artifacts led to
the advancement of Native American society and education of settlers on foreign affairs.
Trade became a profitable factor for both receivers and barterers alike (Abreu 367). These
mentifacts that shaped colonization of the Americas eventually led to the domination of
European settlers, but also the progression of native civilizations.
Most perceptions of the colonial era in North America include the conquering of
natives and the dominant European presence, yet the relationship between these
civilizations proved to be positive and beneficial culturally and physically. Sharing ideas,
religion, technology, products, and agricultural aspects of daily life proved to be the

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results of settlement and occupation of the Americas. Without the interaction and
colonization of this region, much of what we have today in terms of development and
productivity would be hindered if not for the extensive network of exchanging said
factors. Simply overlooking the positive impact that the Colonial Era had on the rest of
the world would ignore a period of intense scientific, economic, and technological
advancements. The world of colonialism, slavery, plantation farms, and global markets
were necessary to produce an international system of exchange, essential to the inner
workings of the world today, and we must acknowledge these factors as a part of our
history that brought us to our current position of productivity.