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By Root 1592 0

America and parts of Canada. The French were in North America as well and claiming Louisiana, the Mississippi River Valley, and parts of Canada. In the 1600s, North America did not have tons of gold to dig up and haul off, and the natives were a mixture of friendly and very unfriendly, depending on the tribe; however, it was a good place to settle. Soon Europeans were coming and trying to make a home along the Atlantic coast of North America, on the Hudson Bay, and the coast of Canada. These were not hit-and-run adventurers. The folks arriving in North America were tough, resourceful people, looking to work hard and build a life of their own away from the old country. They came to stay and had no reason to enslave anyone; however, once they were ashore the lives of the natives in North America changed for the worst.

The newcomers shattered the lives of the Native Americans (Indians), ending their cultures and their very existence. The most deadly impact was unintended as the Europeans brought diseases the natives had never been exposed to, with devastating results. Germs that had little or no impact on the Europeans killed the Native Americans by the multiple thousands. Why the natives did not carry diseases that would do the same to the Europeans is a subject of study, but it is a fact that the natives died of Europeans’ diseases by the millions; but the Europeans did not die in large numbers from native diseases.[71] This depopulation of the already-existing peoples simply made the conquest of North America that much easier for the newcomers. As the natives melted away, the Europeans took their place.

Because of the two different kinds of newcomers to South and North America the continents developed in very different ways. In South America, subjugation was the way of life with the Spanish ruling the natives. As such, only a few Spanish settled and stayed, usually as overseers of the natives. Those that stayed ran huge estates and lived as royalty. Here too the natives died of diseases in large numbers, but the Spanish were mostly concerned that enough of them remained to work the land or dig the gold. The Catholic Church looked after many natives and converted them to Christianity; however, it was a Christianity mixed with native ways.

In North America, independence was the way of life, with the newcomers establishing themselves on the land and pushing out the natives. The “Indian Wars” on the frontier were unremitting affairs. The fighting went on year after year as colonists moved west to gain more farmland. In the end, diseases, the crushing numbers of Europeans, and Europe’s advanced technology overwhelmed the natives. The Native Americans in the North lost their lives, their land, their culture, and their future every bit as surely as those Native Americans in South America had.

The Age of Discovery went on for decades as men sought new places to explore. For our purposes, the Age of Discovery will end with the voyage of Magellan in 1522 because it is a good date to hang our hat on, it found the extent of the South American continent, and “proved” the world was round—and very big.

Let Us Learn

From the Age of Discovery we find out that expectations are often wrong. Spending a lot of money on an adventure (project) involves unstated assumptions. Sure, the world is round and Isabella’s advisors knew it, but the Europeans assumed nothing but ocean stood between them and Asia if they sailed west. So, beware of unstated assumptions and unproven expectations. Also, learn that scouting ahead can make a big difference. We must also learn that killing and oppressing people will ruin those doing the oppressing. Spain failed to benefit from its oppression in the New World. From settlers in New England and the North American colonies we learn the value of hard work. By staying put, working hard, saving, and protecting their profit, they set the foundations for a great nation. Keeping it simple, working hard and setting aside for the future pays off. We must note the importance of technology. Falling behind in technology