Impact of Colonization on
Native Americans
Chapter 2
Pedro de Peralta
and Popes Rebellion
1609-1610 Pedro de Peralta,
governor of New Mexico, led settlers
and missionary priests to the Rio
Grande and set up the capital Santa
Fe. Here they converted native
American into the roman catholic
faith.
One native American who was
whipped because he was accused of
doing “witchcraft” put together 17,000
people from villages all over and
rebelled and pushed out the Spanish
in 1680.
Native Resistance to Spanish
In the process of converting Natives to Christianity
Catholic priests would outlaw traditional religious
practices and confiscate and destroy all religious
artifacts.
–
Criminalized with torture and death anyone who continued
to practice traditional religious beliefs that dated back
thousands of years.
Spanish priests and soldiers will also force Natives
to pay tribute (gold, jewelry, etc.) to support the
Catholic Church (expansion)
Pope’s Revolt
Pueblo religious leader Pope was
punished for practicing traditional
religious practices (whipped).
–
Spanish considered traditional religious
practices as Witchcraft
In 1680 Pope led a revolt of 17,000
against Spanish missions burning
churches and executing priests and
soldiers
–
Spanish will later regain control of the
territory 14 years later.
English Policy Against Natives
Unlike the Spanish, whose policy was to
breed the Native culture into extinction
(through rape and forced marriages), The
English policy was to drive them out and
remove any elements of resistance.
As the English economy expanded with
the global demand for tobacco, Natives
were an increasing problem
–
Powhatan princess Pocahontas will be
kidnapped by the English
Powhatan Wars Ravage Virginia
Although Pocahontas’ kidnap will lead to
marriage and peace between the Powhatans
and English it will be short lived.
–
Warriors and militia on both sides will conduct
raids near the border that lead to many deaths
on both sides
By 1624, England will place Virginia under
the direct control of the crown making Virginia
a Royal Colony.
–
To protect their investment England will send
more troops and supplies to defeat the
Powhatans
Puritans’ Solution to Natives
Unlike the English settling the middle colonies
Puritans came to Massachusetts by the thousands
in families to stay.
–
Massachusetts will expand at a much faster rate than the
middle colonies. Continually clearing the land and
expansion threatened the Natives’ very way-of-life.
Natives and Puritans viewed land differently.
Natives felt land belonged to all living things and
Europeans saw land as property.
–
Natives felt the English needed to pay continual tribute to
share the land but the English saw land as property, bought
and sold only ONCE.
Puritan Method of War
To strengthen support against the Natives within
Puritan communities, they declared Natives as devil
worshippers and their religious practices as witchcraft.
–
Due to their extreme hatred for Natives and seeing wars
between Natives not going away, Puritans had one answer to
the Native problem: Complete Annihilation
The Puritan method of dealing with the Natives will
become a model for how the English will forever deal
with Native resistance.
–
With a Puritan force of near 100 the Puritans will surround a
Pequot village at Mystic River and set it on fire. As men,
women, and children run out of the village the Puritans will
open fire on them killing nearly every man woman and child.
King Philip’s War
Much like in Connecticut with the Pequots, the
Wampanoag will reach their breaking point with
being forced to follow Puritan laws and traditions.
–
This included religious practices as well
Chief Metacom, known as King Philip to the
Puritans, will lead a campaign to remove the
Puritans from their land in 1675.
–
Because of the low tolerance to European diseases
and military inferiority, the Wampanoag tribe will
slowly die out and give up rights to their land.