Colonisation and Conflict

Background of Exploration and European Overseas Colonisation

• Overview of key themes and aspects:

  • Background of exploration and European overseas colonisation.

  • Justification of colonisation.

  • Impact of colonisation in colonies and in Europe.

  • Migration trends related to colonisation.

The Background to European Overseas Exploration

• Medieval Background: Understanding the socio-political environment prior to the Age of Exploration.

• Intellectual Developments: Movement of ideas during the Renaissance which encouraged exploration and discovery.

• New Technologies of Navigation and Shipbuilding: Development of significant ship types such as:

  • Caravel: A small, highly maneuverable ship used by the Portuguese.

  • Carrack: A larger ship used for long ocean voyages.

• Economic Motives: The pursuit of wealth, particularly gold and spices, drove European nations to explore and colonise.

• Population Change: Growth in population led to competition for resources, driving exploration.

• Political Events and International Rivalries: Conflicts and competition between nations spurred on expeditions and territorial claims.

• Myth, Legend, and Rumour: Stories like those of El Dorado and Prester John influenced explorers' motivations.

Legend: Prester John

• A legendary Christian monarch in the East, motivating European kingdoms to send explorers in search of him, leading to further exploration of Asia and Africa.

Notable Voyages of Discovery

• Key figures in European exploration include:

  • Vasco da Gama

  • Christopher Columbus

  • Bartolomeu Dias

  • Ferdinand Magellan

  • Amerigo Vespucci

  • John Cabot

  • These voyages involved crews from a range of European nations.

Overview of European Colonisation

• Portuguese Exploration (Mid 15thC-1600): Focus on African coasts, the far East, and Brazil.

• Spanish Exploration (1492-1600): Involvement in the Caribbean, Philippines, and Central/South America by 'conquistadors'.

• Significant Events:

  • 1494: Treaty of Tordesillas - divided the New World between Spain and Portugal.

  • 1529: Treaty of Zaragoza - defined the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires further.

European Colonisation Patterns and Milestones

• Circumnavigation of the Globe (1519-1522): Led by Magellan, demonstrating the vastness of the world.

• 17th Century Developments:

  • The Dutch, French, and English began exploration and enacted early colonisation of North America.

  • British and French control over Caribbean colonies began in the 1580s.

• Portuguese Trading Colonies:

  • Established in India (early 16th century), and in Japan (1540s).

• New Trade Routes:

  • Formation of East India Company (1600) and Dutch East India Company (VOC, 1602).

• Russian Expansion:

  • Expansion across the Urals and into Siberia commencing in the late 1580s.

Encounters with Indigenous Peoples in the Americas

• Significant focus on the encounters between European colonists and Indigenous populations, leading to cultural exchanges, conflicts, and devastating consequences for natives.

Justification of Colonisation

• Europeans used various justifications, including:

  • Military Superiority: Claiming that their military capabilities were a sign of superiority.

  • Cultural Superiority: Belief in the moral and cultural superiority of European societies.

  • Natural Law: Arguments based on the supposed natural order of society supporting European dominance over other cultures.

  • 'Res Nullius': A legal principle allowing the claiming of unoccupied land.

  • Doctrine of Discovery: A principle asserting that land not inhabited by Christians could be claimed.

Philosophical Underpinnings of Colonisation

• Natural Slavery (John Mair/Major): The belief that some individuals are by nature suited to be slaves, referencing Aristotle’s notions of natural slavery.

Doctrine of Discovery

• Documented in the Papal Decree Inter Caetera (1493):

  • Established that lands discovered by Christian explorers were granted to Spain, asserting European claims over non-Christian territories.

Bartolome de las Casas

• Advocacy for Indigenous rights in A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies:

  • Described Indigenous peoples as peaceable and capable of moral reasoning, contrasting with the narrative of domination by virtue of superiority.

Francisco de Vitoria

• Contributions to the discussion on moral rights of Indigenous people and justifications for colonisation.

Impact of Colonisation

• Disease: Spread of diseases to Indigenous populations leading to demographic collapses.

  • Example from Thomas Harriot’s report on the rapid decline of Indigenous populations following encounters with colonists.

• Other Biological Impacts: The introduction of new species, both flora and fauna, prompting ecological changes.

• Violent Appropriation of Land: Systematic dispossession of Indigenous lands.

  • Cherished Landscape transformed by colonisation processes.

• Cultural Erasure and Denigration: Indigenous cultures faced significant threat from colonising forces.

• Economic Consequences:

  • Development of new economies based on the exploitation of resources and slave labor.

  • Emergence of markets for new goods such as tobacco, rice, and sugar.

• Migration Impacts: Movement of Europeans into new colonies, affecting social and demographic structures in both Europe and the colonies.

Impacts in Europe

• Biological Impact: Diseases and new goods introduced affecting European populations.

• Cultural Change: Introduction of new types of crops and societal changes.

• Economic and Social Impacts: Wealth accumulation by European powers and transformations in labor systems.

• Political Impact: Shifts in power dynamics globally as European nations expanded their empires.

• Migration Patterns: Increased movement of people between Europe and the Americas.

  • Economic factors, religious reasons, and military conquests played crucial roles in these migrations.