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Michael Tomlin
Ms. Burke
Honors World History
November 10, 2016
European Colonization and Exploration
People of African and Native American descent have been and are still being affected by
the Europeans that colonized America half a century ago. Europeans came to The New World
to search for wealth and to spread religion. This was a good motivation to come to the newly
discovered continent, however, they brought over a beast in a demand for a work force.
European Colonization and Exploration has deprived Africans and Native Americans of liberty
and freedom due to the greed of the colonizers.
African slave trade began around the mid-15th century with the Portuguese, whose
interests in Africa went from gold to slaves. The slave trade peaked at the end of the 18th century.
Triangle Trade was the process in which goods and slaves were exchanged. It was profitable for
merchants at every part of the journey. In the first leg merchants sold weaponry to African
leaders for slaves. The next leg, known as the Middle Passage, was when slaves were brought by
the boatload across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas to be traded with colonists for various
different native crops. The third leg concluded the round trip, trading the American goods with
Europeans. This was made possible because the New World lacked the work force to maintain
their plantations. The natives were unreliable because they were vulnerable to diseases brought
to the Americas by the Europeans. Europeans themselves were not capable of working in the
tropical climates. Africans were good workers, had agricultural experience, and were able to

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withstand the tropical climate. Africans had actually been traded as slaves in Africa for centuries.
It was when slaves were taken across the Ocean in the Middle Passage that they were introduced
to disease and malnutrition. Once they made the grueling trip to America they were worked from
sunrise to sunset. Small children and elderly were forced to work as well. They were only
allowed off on Sundays and the occasional holiday. Slave owners did not supply the slaves with
an adequate diet. Slaves had to fish or farm on their off-days to supplement. Slave owners did not
provide clothing, forcing them to make their own. Slaves lived in poor shelter. They lived in
small stick houses rather than the log cabins depicted in media. Slave families could be broken as
members of a family could be sold without any say. Slave owners allowed marriage, hoping for
children to be born that they could eventually sell. The slave owners were more concerned with
keeping their financially valuable slaves alive than giving them a decent life. This greed took
away the African peoples chance at having a decent life.
Native Americans had a different experience with the Europeans in America. When
Europeans came over, they brought diseases that Natives did not have immunity to. This killed
many Natives, along with the initial effort to enslave them. Natives lost their land as Europeans
came in and claimed it. Since their cultures were so different, Natives had never seen people
claim land, as they did not think someone could own land. This nomadic idea left the land open
for Europeans. Natives would try to confront them, but ultimately could not overcome the
advanced weaponry of the Europeans. Europeans did not intentionally intend on wiping out the
Natives. They were greedy for land and believed they could take whatever they desired. To get
rid of Natives Europeans supplied certain tribes with guns, hoping this would encourage them to
take out their neighboring tribes. Tribes engaged in wars, decreasing their population. Through
the colonization their culture changed. Some of the changes were positive, while some were

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negative and happened because they lost their freedom. Horses and guns were introduced to
them. This changed the way they hunted. They were also introduced to alcohol, which can be
helpful if used in moderation, but was probably abused by most. Natives were introduced to
Christianity. It altered their cultural identity, as it was very different from their original religions.
Laws banned certain ceremonies and their children were forced into European education. Their
decreasing population, loss of land, and deprivation of culture would continue for many years
because of the Europeans greed.
The effects of European Colonization are still relevant in modern times. AfricanAmericans were not freed until 1863; this is almost 200 years after they were brought over in the
Middle Passage. Although they were considered free, they did not get the right to vote until
1870. This was still often ignored. African Americans and other minority races lived separately
from Caucasian people in the South of the country, where slavery had been more prevalent. They
had separate and lesser education. African-American voters were disenfranchised, or the
deprived of the right to vote. They were unable to go to the same restrooms, restaurants, or other
places as Caucasians. This later changed after civil rights acts, but we still feel the effects of
colonization. Colonization brought slavery, which created racism, which deprived AfricanAmericans of living free in the free country. Native Americans experience after colonization is
different, but still comes from the initial greed that pushed them further and further west. Native
American tribes live on reservations. Most people think that these reservations are territories
given to the tribes, however they are land areas retained by the tribes after treaty-based land
cessions. Tribes do not own the land. The United States is responsible for administering and
managing the land and resources to the best advantage of the tribes, yet they have been
inevitably irresponsible. For example, uranium mining in the southwest increased cancer in

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Pueblo tribes, such as the Navajo Nation. Failures of the federal Indian policy have led to more
problems with poverty, substance abuse, mortality rate, and education compared to other
American populations. Colonization has not only left these groups of people without much say in
a nation deemed to be free, but it has created racial prejudice that still exists today. Although
the works of people like Martin Luther King Jr. have lessened this hate, we still have racial
prejudice and injustice. Minorities do not get just rulings in the justice system and are often
overlooked in hiring. Only time will tell if our country will truly become what the Constitution
destined it to be.
Ultimately, Colonization of the Americas has deprived Native Americans and Africans of
their freedom, as they could no longer live by their own beliefs. They were not only enslaved,
but they were forced to conform to someone elses culture. This has created a misunderstanding
as well, leading to racial prejudice in America.

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Works Cited
3.1 The Life of a Slave. Learn NC, www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-antebellum/5602.
Boddy-Evans, Alistair. The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. About.com Education, 8 Aug. 2016,
africanhistory.about.com/od/slavery/tp/transatlantic001.htm.
Davis, Jack E. Civil Rights Movement: An Overview | Scholastic.com. Grolier Online, Grolier
Multimedia Encyclopedia, 1 July 2014, www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/civil-rightsmovement-overview.
Learn the Effects of Colonization on the Native Population of North America. Online
Learning Haven, www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/natives2.htm.
Slavery in America. History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009,
www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery.