European colonization of the Americas The Vikings were the first Europeans to reach the Americas, starting but then abandoning a colonisation process. (For more on this, see Vinland.) The first phase of modern European activity in this region began with the oceanic crossings of Christopher Columbus (1492-1500), sponsored by Spain, and those of other explorers such as John Cabot, sponsored by England, and Giovanni da Verrazano, sponsored by France and according to some the German Didrik Pining and Polish John of Kolno 1473, sponsored by Denmark. This was followed, notably in the case of Spain, by a phase of conquest: The Spaniards (just having finished a war against the Muslims in the Iberian peninsula) replaced the Amerindian local oligarchies and impose a new religion: Christianity. Diseases and cruel systems of work (the famous haciendas and mining industry) decimated the Amerindian population. African Negro slaves were introduced to substitute the Amerindian. On the other hand, the Spaniards did not impose their language in the same measure and the Catholic Church even evangelized in Quechua, Nahuatl and Guarani, contributing to the expansion of these Amerindian languages and equipping them with a writing system. One of the first school for amerindians was founded by Fray Pedro de Gante en 1523. The Portuguese switched from an initial plan of trading posts to an extensive colonization of what is now Brazil. (See also: Conquistador, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Spanish Conquest of Yucatan, Treaty of Tordesillas, Treaty of Alcaçovas) In the British and French regions, the focus of economy soon shifted from resource extraction to trading with the natives. This was also practiced by the Russians in the northwest coast of North America. After the French and Indian War, Great Britain captured all French possessions in North America. Slavery under European rule began with importation of white European slaves (or indentured servants), was followed by the enslavement of local aborigines in the Caribbean, and eventually was primarily replaced with Africans imported through a large slave trade as the native populations declined through disease. But by the 18th century, the overwhelming number of black slaves was such that white and Native American slavery was less common. Contemporary studies, such as by Stannard1 label the destruction of American Indigenous peoples as "far and away, the most massive act of genocide in the history of the world". Reference David E. Stannard American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World. Oxford University Press, 1993. ISBN 0195085574 Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_colonization_of_the_Americas