Daniela Bentez-Posada

Estudios Internacionales
Essay on: Richard Hakluyt, Discourse Of Western Planting
Topic N 1

Promoting English Colonization in the New World

Richard Hakluyt revolved his life around every detail that encouraged the
English incursion in the Americas. He used to listen to the adventurers who told
every story they had to tell about the New World and then repeated them to a
wide audience. He stated his support to different excursionists. Also he
mentioned his enthusiasm to fight against the Spanish, in order to be entitled to
every good and the benefits from every trade. Hakluyt also mentioned and
argued against the catholic colonies and in pro of the protestant influence in the
colonies.
Discourse on western planting, describes how the English must use the
colonies to their advantage. The issues discussed by Hakluyt have, of course a
social, economic and political impact, both in the Americas and in Europe at the
time. As well as the cultural influence that the European lifestyle and believes
had on the natives and the new American high class.
As for the social aspects inside the Americas it is possible to say that new social
class started emerging, as it was mentioned before. For once there where the
English established, who normally owned big plantations or small businesses.
This social class developed into the new American aristocracy, they started
controlling important decisions inside the colony and had the power to influence
the British crown in the decisions taken over the colonies. Also another social
class was created, called the Yeoman. These people where land owners who
started moving west into the land. At the end they were nothing like the new
aristocracy. They presented new goals and a sense of belonging to the land.
Yeoman people developed concepts like the one of the own land and the
difference between rent and ownership. At last, slaves that escaped from
plantations also started moving into the west, and became freemen.
The presence of British in the Americas gave a bit of more pressure to the

Daniela Bentez-Posada
Estudios Internacionales
Essay on: Richard Hakluyt, Discourse Of Western Planting
Topic N 1
Spanish and French crown, since the objective was to claim all the rewards
extracted from the colony itself. Once the British established in American
territory, Hakluyt emphasized on fighting the Spanish to take over their piece of
land and also remove the Catholic Church from the evangelists site.
That all other englishe Trades are growen beggerly or
daungerous, especially in all the kinge of Spaine his Domynions,
where our men are dryven to flinge their Bibles and prayer Bokes
into the sea, and to forsweare and renownce their relligion and
conscience and consequently theyr obedience to her Majestie.
(Hakluyt, 1584)
This, economically, gave more power to the British crown and induced a feeling
of superiority against the rest of European empires. In this sense taking over the
Spanish colonies will increase the chance of owning new trade routs and a
wider influence in Africa and Asia. As for that, as England grew stronger through
the extraction provided by land owned as colonies. The Colonies themselves
also grew stronger, developing their local industries by the aristocracy and
manufacturing enterprises. Which gave way to separatist thoughts and feelings
of auto sufficiency inside the nation, which led to the revolution against the
Crown. Hakluyt also suggested taking advantage of taxes from goods that enter
any English domain, in order to develop a certain benefit to the crown.
No foreign commodity that comes into England comes without payment
of custom once, twice, or thrice, before it come into the realm, and so all foreign
commodities become dearer to the subjects of this realm; and by this course to
Norumbega foreign princes customs are avoided; and the foreign commodities
cheaply purchased, they become cheap to the subjects of England, to the
common benefit of the people, and to the saving of great treasure in the realm;
whereas now the realm become the poor by the purchasing of foreign
commodities in so great a mass at so excessive prices. (Hakluyt, 1584)

Discourse on western planting, economically increased the power of the crown

and developed wealth inside the colony. Socially Englishmen started to
immigrate to the Americas to change their fate and become richer. Meanwhile
in the colony new social classes emerged, a new aristocracy was slowly
developed. Hakluyt also mentioned as social and economical aspects that
benefited the British, was the fact of getting rid of the unemployed, poor, ex
militaries and the lazy people. By shipping them to the New World and becoming

Daniela Bentez-Posada
Estudios Internacionales
Essay on: Richard Hakluyt, Discourse Of Western Planting
Topic N 1
of any use and a source of income to the Crown.
In the end, as for political aspects he mentioned the power the crown will have
against the Spanish and French Empires. Also the pressure that it will create by
owning more trade routs than the rest of the expanding empires. And inside the
colony the influence of the new aristocracy in the decisions taken by the crown,
made an impact for future revolutionary thoughts and actions towards
independence.

Works Cited.
Brewer, L. (15 de October de 2001). Colonial America, 1607 - 1783. Obtenido de
America, Religion In Colonial:
http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/16071783/religion.htm
Haklyut, R. (1518). Discourse on Western Planting. UK.
Kulikoff, A. (4 de Dic de 1991). Colonial American Economy. Obtenido de History
Channel: http://www.history.com/topics/colonial-economy