Setting the Tone with Slavery

Reflection: Examining the Very Beginning

            The European Empire was built on the need to survive and grow an economy. It was early settler’s need to survive that led to the development of the Americas.  Some historians believe it was not the need to survive but greed that led to the Native American slaughter and the creation of slave trade. 

Europeans had the advantage over other civilization competitors in being able to sail across the Atlantic to “discover” the Americas. It was the idea of “getting rich” that ultimately motivated Europeans to migrate because they were not positioned very competitively in the world economy. The European economy relied heavily on crops and livestock and space was needed in order to thrive. After the Europeans settled in the Americas, a growing merchantile class rose and capitalism began to flourish. Settlers were quickly realizing that anyone that was willing to work hard and obtain and grow their land could become wealthy.

Strayer mentions that a Spanish conquistador said, “We came here to serve God and the Kng, and also to get rich.” The Europeans were looking for free land to grow and they knew they needed to conquer any existing societies in order to be able to have full control over the land.  Between bloody battles and widespread diseas and germs, Native Americans were almost completely wiped out. In a 50-year time frame, almost 90 percent of the Native American population was wiped out, says Strayer. It was not until the 17^th century that their population began to grow once more.  While the Europeans may not have purposefully spread disease and germs which lead to the obliteration of the Native American population, it did serve their purpose well. Some Native American tribes were wiped out by disease before the Europeans even reached them.

Slaves were eventually introduced to the Americas when Europeans realized they needed help with their new land.  The slavery of Native Americans and Africans began to develop and for over one hundred years will carry over well into the development of what we know our nation to be today- The United States of America.  Slavery could be considered the backbone to what our country is founded on. The use and abuse of other human beings used to facilitate making as much money as possible is a current issue as well as a long-standing historical issue.