The colonization it is a form of domination in which two groups intervene: a dominating group, also known as colonial power, and a dominated group that submits to the will of the dominator.
Generally this phenomenon is associated with the possession of the territory. However, colonization also means control or the influence that a group has on the culture or behavior of another group.
For example, Spaniards colonized Latin American aborigines through Catholicism.
Often, the term colonization appears along with the term imperialism. These two denominations are related; however, they are not synonymous. The difference lies in the presence or absence of settlers in the place.
That is to say, if the dominating group is established in the conquered territory permanently, then colonization is spoken of.
On the other hand, if only the territory is dominated through political influence without occupying it, then it is about imperialism.
Causes of colonization
The causes are diverse by which a nation decides to expand through conquest and colonization. Among these, economic, political, geostrategic and cultural factors stand out.
Economic factors
When talking about colonization, economic factors are one of the causes of greater weight. Among the economic causes include the following:
- The need for new markets in which to sell and buy. For example, in the fifteenth century Christopher Columbus organized an expedition to India due to the need for new markets to market European products.
- The need for raw material. The colonized territories can be exploited to extract minerals, agricultural products, among others.
- The desire to have new territories in which it can invest, building structures that will generate economic benefits in the future, such as railways and ports, among others.
Political factors
Among the political factors, the existence of nationalism stands out, which promoted the expansion of countries beyond their territorial limits, and the desire to demonstrate power.
For example, in the nineteenth century the idea was that the more colonies one had, the more powerful the nation was.
Geostrategic factors
Many nations colonized other areas because of the strategic advantages offered by the territory.
For example, in the nineteenth century the United Kingdom colonized Gibraltar, Malta and other islands to facilitate the passage of vessels from the kingdom to India and vice versa.
Cultural and scientific factors
In the sixteenth century Europeans justified colonization in America by asserting that it was their duty to bring Catholicism and Christian values to aboriginal peoples.
From the scientific point of view, many explorers undertook colonial expeditions for the desire to make a discovery like the one Columbus had made in the fifteenth century.
Examples of colonization
Some examples of colonization are the processes that occurred in Latin America and Australia.
South America
When the Spaniards arrived in America, they thought they had arrived in India. Soon they discovered that they had found a new continent.
Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas to divide the American territory between these two nations.
The east faction of South America would be for Portugal, while the rest would be for Spain.
1- Colonization in Argentina
Argentina was conquered in 1524. As of this year it formed part of the government of Nueva Andalucia. In 1542 it began to be part of the viceroyalty of Peru.
In 1776 the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata was created. The Argentine territory was part of this viceroyalty until 1814, the year in which it declared its independence.
2- Colonization in Mexico
Mexico was conquered by Hernán Cortés, who allied himself with the Tlaxcala, an Aztec tribe that was at war with the rulers of the Empire.
With the help of these aborigines, Cortés dominated Mexican territory in only three years. In 1521 the Spaniards established a colony in Mexico.
This colony was of benefit to the Spaniards, who exploited the territory to obtain precious minerals (mainly gold and silver), agricultural products such as corn, wheat, coffee and sugar, among others.
In addition, this colony served to expand the Spanish market. Thus, commercial relations were established with other colonies in America, such as the French in Canada and the British in the United States.
In 1810 Mexico began the process of independence, and in 1820 it became a republic free of the influence of the Spaniards.
3- Colonization in Venezuela
In the third expedition of Columbus the Spaniards arrived at the Venezuelan territory (1498 - 1499). In 1522 the first settlement was established in the area that today is Cumaná, Sucre state.
Subsequently the province of Venezuela was created, whose capital was Caracas. During the colonial period, Venezuela's economy focused on the production of coffee, indigo, sugarcane and cocoa.
Other important activities were livestock and mining, especially the extraction of gold and precious stones.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Venezuelans began to demonstrate their discontent with the Spanish authorities.
In 1811 the Act of Independence was signed. Finally, in 1821 Venezuela was definitively separated from Spain.
Australia
In 1770 Captain James Cook arrived in Australian territory. On August 23 of that same year he declared that the bay to which he had arrived would be the possession of the United Kingdom thereafter.
Between 1801 and 1803 Matthew Flinders, a British naval officer, circumnavigated the continent and thus the first maps of Australia were drawn.
Despite the fact that most Europeans considered the Australian territory a desert and uninhabitable area, the British saw this as a strategic point.
The colonies in Australia provided a base for the naval forces of the United Kingdom. In addition, the annexation of new territories allowed to solve a problem that was affecting the kingdom: the crowded prisons.
Up to 1850 thousands of prisoners from prisons in the United Kingdom were sent to Australia, which became the first penal colony.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia stopped being a colony and became an independent part of the United Kingdom.
References
- A Definition of Colonialism. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from PDFusers.clas.ufl.edu
- Colonial Argentina. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Colonial Venezuela. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from revolutionbythebook.ak.press.org
- Colonialism, Nationalism, Neocolonialism. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from columbia.edu
- Colonization and Decolonization. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from warriorpublications.files.wordpress.com
- Spanish Colonization in Mexico. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from spanishcolonizationinmexico.weebly.com