Between the period 1500-1800, Christianity made its way to the Americas, changing many societies in Latin America. The overall cause for the expansion of the Christian faith was the Western Schism, the split in the Roman Catholic Church, which resulted in lots of tension for the Christian faith and pressure on the Church to spread the word. A little later, the New World had been discovered and Europeans were beginning to come to the New World. Here, the Europeans brought disease, chattel slavery, and their faith, referred to as the Columbian Exchange. Those Europeans began to make efforts to westernize the New World as well as the indigenous people, which resulted in the Christian faith to be encouraged to the point that indigenous people were …show more content…
Ultimately, the arrival of Christianity in the Americas created cultural diffusion amongst the indigenous population to certain extents based on willingness and capabilities of the natives, while also forcing other native religions to continue to carry out in secret due to the fact that the church wanted to make Christianity prominent in the Americas and push aside all others, mainly using the Inquisitions to punish anyone against them (all the while simultaneously encouraging Christianity). The Catholic Church attempted to spread Christianity amongst the indigenous people of Latin America; however, they were only successful to a certain extent with converting people to Christianity depending on the willingness of the natives as well as the capabilities of the priests. For example, in document 3, a manuscript written by Jacinto de la Serna to aid priests working among the natives of Mexico in 1656, the priest had worked to try to teach the Amerindian population the religion of Christianity, but the natives outside of the main towns held onto their old faiths, merging the Christian rituals with their own to stay hidden. From this, it can be seen how, …show more content…
An example of this can be found in Document 1, a record of Domingos Fernandes Nobre's confession at his Inquisition trial, in which he stated that he practiced native customs and their heathen ways, partaking in their religious rituals. The purpose of the document was to show a confession at an Inquisition trial, which was not meant to be heard by the public, but rather remain as a record for the government or court, most likely; in addition, Domingos Fernandes Nobre had no reason to lie about doing unfaithful things since these actions were punishable by death during the time of the Inquisition, therefore making this account accurate and truthful. Continuing on, many of those found guilty during the Inquisition were tortured or punished making actions like Domingos Fernandes Nobre something to be avoided. Although Domingos was truthful, submitting himself to the punishment that was to come for his “sins,” his trial shows the extent to which the Church was willing to go to encourage people to convert, yet still fail to do so. Thus, Christianity didn’t reach some of the indigenous who attempted to continue their own “heathen ways” in secret. These attempts of secrecy could also be seen in document 4, which shows the point of view of
It would not be long before the Jesuits were sent to the New World to serve in New Spain and 60 years after the arrival in Mexico City, others from France settled in Quebec (Bangert, 261). One of the primary methods of evangelization in the New World was the process of isolation and indoctrination. Used by both the Jesuits of New Spain and New France, isolation and indoctrination had both its success and its failures. In the process of evangelizations, the Jesuit missionaries learn how to adapt to the needs of the Native Americans in both the north and the south.
Agwachiwagan viewed the religion as “fable” with its only use as being an invention “to inspire [people] with real fear of an imaginary fire in the false hope of a good that will never come to [its people]” (25). The French colonist spread their religion through warlike ways and rearranged society to better accommodate their faith. Through the interaction of French people when they were introducing the natives their Christian religion, in Agwachiwagan eyes, the New World religion was killing almost all of the natives indigenous to the land. The worst thing that happened to the natives was the influx of deadly diseases for which they had no immunity, they were exposed to these illnesses through the interactions with the French colonist. Agwachiwagan explains to his peoples about the colonized faith by asking them questions that only he can answer for him, unlike the baptized Christians, was able to escape “from the clutches of a thousand deaths” against the Christian
I will also use the term “New World” to reference the places that the Spaniards travelled to. Though in a similar setting with the same religion, each text maintains a different view on the matters of Spanish conquests, which makes for an interesting discussion when comparing similarities all three. Despite a difference of opinion of how to convert, these three texts A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, The Letter of Columbus to Luis de Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery, and Democrates Alter, Or, on the Just Causes for War Against the Indians similarly posit justification for violent acts and conversion of the indigenous peoples based on religious beliefs. To defend my argument, I will first explain the similar aspects between the three texts regarding the acknowledgement of the cruel actions against the natives to gain more knowledge of the land and its people. I will then discuss the similar opinion of each author that argues a Christian duty to convert the natives after having gained information about the New World.
Furthermore, the New World was rapidly overpopulating, forcing the Europeans to migrate west of the region. In the book, Amy Greenberg states that the ideology of western expansion began when Puritans, upon arriving in the New World, “They envisioned their experimental settlement as a ‘citty upon a hill,’ a beacon of light for less blessed people elsewhere that would prove superiority not only of Protestantism over Catholicism but also of strict Puritans over less rigorous practices of Protestanism. ”1 In the 18th century, many settlers believed in a God established community. In addition, settlers believed that the New World was the place to establish a Christian nation and expand throughout the vast region.
This topic was one of the many topics that I found quite interesting. When Europeans first arrived at the shores of the Americas, their main motivation was to find new land filled with riches, golden cities, and opportunities, and establish ideal communities based on the lives of early Christian saints. Many European settlers each had their own motivation to explore but they ultimately wanted one thing, access to more money. They treated people who were already living on that land as mere means to get what they wanted. The Columbian exchange was the stepping stone for the rise of industrialization in the new
During the late 1400s and the early 1500s, European expeditioners began to explore the New World. Native Americans, who were living in America originally, were much different than the Europeans arriving at the New World; they had a different culture, diet, and religion. Eventually, both the Native Americans and the European colonists exchanged different aspects of their life. For example, Native Americans gave the Europeans corn, and the Europeans in return gave them modern weapons, such as various types of guns. This type of trade was called “the Columbian Exchange.”
Personally i hold the perspective that Americans ought to celebrate Columbus Day in memory of the inevitable and crucia effects the Voyager Columbus had brought forth in the perspective of world history and geography. Admittedly, i cannot deny the negative side of travel from the Columbus founding the new land. But in my aopinion the advantages far weights the disadvantages. All of us may as well see teverything thoroughly and objectively .Just as the old saying goes "every coin has two sides."
The Catholic Church and Latin America The Catholic Church was a great power ruling many civilizations in Europe during the period between 1492 and 1830. Therefore, the role of the Catholic Church was of utmost importance to the colonization and development of Latin America as it was a great force in Spain and Portugal. Despite the peaceful teachings of the Church, greed and a hunger for power led them to make decisions harming Latin America and Christianity, rather than thriving it. In this paper, I will show that the Catholic Church is significantly responsible for the colonization and development of Latin America through, the Christianizing mission, the Treaty of Tordesillas, and the Spanish Inquisition.
Europeans came to the New World with three intentions: gold, glory, and God. The spread Christianity to the Native Americans, but in turn, they did not adapt the Native American’s customs. It helped make Christianity a global religion. Because it was almost forced into the New World, Christianity overruled Islam as well as other religions.
In The Requerimiento by Juan López de Palacios Rubios, natives in the new world were told, “We ask that … you acknowledge the Christian church as the ruler and superior of the whole world, and as superiors that you agree to let the Christian priests preach to you … (The Priests) shall not compel you to become Christians unless you yourself wish to be converted. But if you do not do this … we shall forcefully enter into your country and make war against you.” The Spanish conquistadors allowed natives to choose whether or not they wanted to convert to Christianity, However if they did not, then the Spanish turned them into slaves. The True History of the Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz del Castillo openly stated that a reason for Spanish exploration was, “To serve God and his majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness.” The Spanish viewed non-Christians as unintelligent people because they believed in a different God.
When a tribe would allow them to share the gospel, they feared the apocalyptical future that the Book of Revelations stated. Although French exploration started slow, it has a great impact on America still
Throughout the late 1400’s and the 1500’s, the world experienced many changes due to the discoveries of new lands and peoples that had been never been visited before. The new-found lands of the Americas and exploration of Africa by the Europeans led to new colonies and discoveries in both areas. It also brought different societies and cultures together that had never before communicated, causing conflict in many of these places. While the Europeans treated both the Native Americans and West Africans as inferior people, the early effects they had on the Native Americans were much worse. Beginning in the late 1400’s, many different European explorers started to look for new trade routes in the Eastern Hemisphere in order to gain economic and religious power.
During the exchange, religion and cultural practices were spread from the Old World to the New World. This spread developed new customs that changed the way we perceive each other and the ways we interact with each other. The two major religions that spread were Christianity and Roman Catholicism. Christianity first came to the Americas with the Europeans. Unlike today, there was no official separation between the church and state, “and politics and religion were very much mixed.
As more settlers came to the new world from Europe, they brought Christianity with them, and Christianity’s popularity from Europe continued on in the new world. European contact with Native Americans deteriorated the Natives’ religions while strengthening the Europeans’
The new world was coming about and people needed a new place to live. From people sailing over to the Americas, to people claiming them as their own, they were on a mission to make this land theirs. Were the Europeans in the late 15th and 17th century explorer, missionaries, merchants, or conquerors? In the late 15th and 17th century, people from all over Europe were coming to the Americas for better living, riches, new land, and resources.