Jess Kochik

Ms. Burke
Honors World History
November 1, 2016
The Effects of European Colonization
Colonization started as a race to see who could claim more area between the Europeans
and the Spanish. This caused a type of competition between the two to see who could dominate
more land in the region of North America. This fight for land created impacts that were spread
throughout the world, and spurred on life in the Americas. This desire for more land ultimately
decided the fate of North American society. Colonization by the Europeans had both positive and
negative effects on the Americas such as the impact on the Native Americans livelihoods, the
success of the colonies through trade and the global impact.
Before English colonization, Native Americans were thriving in the vast open lands of
North America. There were hundreds of tribes that all had their own dialect, system of writing,
traditions, and heritages. When Europeans began arriving in North America, their first attempts
of colonization failed. One example of failed colonization involves Raleigh, an expeditioner that
travelled to modern-day North America, and his attempt to colonize in an area known as
Roanoke. His first frontier with Native Americans was amiable and prosperous, but when
supplies ran low, frustration between the natives and the English started, and Raleigh beheaded
their chief. The natives became hostile and forced Raleigh to go back to England to ask the king
for reinforcements. When he returned to the New Land, the settlers were mysteriously gone,
most likely as a result of the Natives. This event shows the animosity that occurred early on
between the European settlers, and the Natives. Eventually, other colonies started to become
more established, and looked to trade as their source of starting an economy. In the colony of

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Jamestown, the increasing demand for its good of tobacco caused the settlers to use the natives
as indentured servants to tend to the tobacco fields. Natives were forced to work for their
freedom, which usually was given in 4-5 years after they began working. Natives created a
resistance called the Confederacy of Powhatan against the unfair treatment of a form of slavery.
It consisted of 30 tribes, and was led by Chief Wasunhacock. War went on between the tribe and
the people of Jamestown until an agreement was settled. The fight, however, continued later on
because of the dispute for land. The differing views about owning land, and other cultural
perspectives, were the sole reason for many of the wars fought between the Europeans and the
Native Americans. Eventually, many tribes were forced out of their homelands and made to other
areas of America because of the Europeans advanced weaponry (American History, n.p).
There were setbacks when it came to the colonies ability to be sustained in North
America. For instance, Jamestown, Virginia was established to be a gold-mining town. However,
the cold winter, and diseases that were carried over killed most of the 144-people colony. As a
result of travel, multiple charters to and from the New Land to England costed way more than
anticipated. Luckily, Jamestown became the first permanent settlement in North America through
economic trial and error. After the gold-mining industry did not meet the expectations of the
settlers, new methods to start up an economy were tried. The most successful method ended up
being the cultivation of tobacco, a skill that the settlers learned from the Native Americans. The
demand for tobacco was high, and this demand aided greatly in the success of the colony of
Jamestown. By the year 1630, over half a million pounds of tobacco were being exported out of
Virginia to England. The Natives played a huge role in the success of the English because they
taught them new agricultural methods, showed them different ways to trap animals, and brought
them to new areas. The Colombian Exchange was another aspect that helped the success of life

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in America. It was beneficial because of the amount of new resources brought to the Americas,
including new crops, and different types of animals. The colony in New France had a difficult
time becoming successful because of its location, but eventually became inhabited with people
who relied on making a profit through fur trading. The English colonies of North America were
self-governed, and had impressive outcomes because of the persistence to achieve greatness
(American History, n.p).
When settlers came to North America, the Native Americans were introduced to diseases
that their immune systems were not readily available to fight off. This caused a drop in
population because vast amounts of natives began to die from the illnesses. The rapid decrease in
laborers led to the Slave Trade, which introduced Africans to North America. They were
enslaved and brought to the Americas to work on plantations since they had better immunity, and
were more used to the working conditions. Around 11 million Africans were put on ships to go to
the Americas, however 2 million died in the process. It affected the demographics in Africa
significantly because the ratio of males to females in Africa dropped. In further regions, such as
the country that is now known as Canada, the land was previously thought to be uninhabitable,
and originally, not many people were willing to take the risk to become part of a colony there.
Later, French settlers, who had claimed the territory, and referred to it as New France, started
livelihoods there (American History, n.p).
European colonization had multiple effects on various areas including: Europe, Africa,
and mainly North America. Through unjust actions, such as genocide and slavery, the Europeans
were able to create a new society. These actions pushed Native Americans away from their
homeland, and brought Africans to North America. It produced a new economy that relied on

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trade, and international cooperation. Colonization created a global impact that still lasts to this
day.