Essay Sample on European Expansion: Exploring New Lands & Resources

Introduction

Europeans were motivated by the search for land and the expansion of their vast resources to other parts of the world. Europe was an already developed nation that boasted of an established communication and transport network, which made it easy for people to exchange information between each other and move across the region (Class Notes, YouTube). Europeans had also identified an opportunity in their neighboring regions and wanted to influence the other places towards civilization. Equipped with knowledge and skills, Europeans set out of their country to explore the land beyond their borders. The uncultivated land would be an opportunity for the Europeans to showcase their knowledge and experience in nurturing crops, which would then be used to feed the growing population. For instance, Africa proved to be a good ground with reliable climatic conditions that would support the growth of plants, which gave the Europeans a comparative advantage before other superpowers in the world would come rushing.

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Europe had already gone through a period of development and industrialization had taken place in the region. This had made it easy for the Europeans to live a better quality life compared to their neighbors which prompted the colonial masters to go out of their continent. Europeans were also knowledgeable in crop farming as they had already experimented with many plants that had thrived in their country. They were willing to experiment with other crops in other parts of the world by bringing them into their continent, and also wanted to affirm if the plans can thrive in other parts of the world.

Europeans also wanted to secure other sources of their already accumulated wealth. Exploring other parts of the world would expose Europeans to more opportunities where they would engage in economic activities that would generate incomes for them both in the short-term and in the long-term (Class Notes, YouTube). For instance, once Europeans set out by sea to Africa or Asia, they would engage with other traders and exchange commodities that were not locally found in their country. They would also gain more knowledge about the global boundaries. Exploration to accumulate wealth would also help the Europeans establish themselves in the world as influencers since they would accumulate precious stones like gold along the way. Europe had already positioned and established itself in the world as a strong region with a stable military presence. Other places in the world like Africa were weak and lacked a definite sense of direction compared to the economic activities that had been taking place in Europe.

Europeans explored other parts of the world with the aim of spreading religious beliefs amongst other nations. Christianity practices and beliefs had been established in the region, with most people converting and practicing this religion. Christians felt justified in their actions to spread the news about their religion which became their motivation to travel far and beyond their borders. Both Protestant and Catholic believers moved from Europe and spread their religious beliefs to other parts in the world with the aim of converting non-believers. The religious message would only reach its target as long as the believers convinced the people of the benefits of subscribing to the good news. Most people in the world had not or had heard little about Christianity as they were still practicing their traditional beliefs.

The History of Europeans in America

Colonization of America began in the later 1490s after traders entered the country in search of new and stable routes which would enhance the exchange of commodities. Traders were willing and ready to engage in business activities with external partners since they had already exhausted the localized exchanges that had been taking place for a long period. Portugal settled most of what is now called Latin America while France settled on what is now Brazil and Canada (Class Notes, YouTube). The Dutch were the first settlers in what is now called New York but were overtaken by the English speaking natives after two years, and they renamed the area to New Amsterdam. Native Americans were negatively impacted by the new settlers since they had to share the available resources and were forced to engage in other income-generating activities that would support their livelihoods since they livers were distracted from what they had previously considered their norm and culture. Additionally, the locals had to share the available resources with the new settlers whereas they had been used to living in vast lands. The settlers had their individual demands and ideas on what entailed trade activities.

The original settlers of Jamestown and Plymouth had different goals of transforming the areas into economic hubs where importation of raw materials would happen. The area would act as an intermediary as cities between the regions would meet and exchange the different trade commodities. The settlers were aware that Jamestown and Plymouth was strategically placed and it was a region which would thrive if the right economic decisions were made on time. The readily available gold and tobacco, which were all natural resources, attracted and retained the attention of settlers as they perceived the locals would avail cheap labor if they need to transform the commodities into finished products (Class Notes, YouTube). The stable and reliable climatic conditions would give the settlers the advantage of cultivating the land and transforming it into an area that was able to generate and supply its food. The supply of food would support growing populations. The new settlers would also permanently live in the area as they would access all the different resources they needed.

The New England colonies supported the growth and expansion of agriculture, livestock farming, and the textile industries. Driven by the need to spread the concept of religion, settlers in New England believed that they would transform the locals’ beliefs and traditions by teaching them about God. The process was not positively received as the locals staged a war against the pilgrims. The coast also provided a comparative advantage for the settlers to engage in trade activities where the building of ships and fishing was supported (Class Notes, YouTube). On the other hand, the Southern colonies comprised of Georgia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, and Virginia. This area was characterized by disagreements on the boundaries with settlers arguing amongst themselves. Religious differences between the settlers also caused an undefined pathway for them to convince the locals of having a different mindset (Class Notes, YouTube). Agricultural activities were favored since the climate around this colony supported farming. The Middle Colonies included Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Their strategic locations served as areas where traders met and exchanged commodities with ease. The warm climate also attracted settlers.

How Did England’s Victory in the French and Indian War Lead Ultimately to the Loss of Its American Colonies?

England’s victory in the French and Indian War lead ultimately to the loss of its American colonies since its attention was diverted immediately after the conflict ended. England needed to rebuild and restructure its economy since it had been disrupted by the war activities which had taken seven years. England had taken financial loans from different sources so that it could finance the conflict. The war had taken longer than had been anticipated which made it hard for England to support itself economically and maintain the control over its American colonies. As expected, after every war activity, parties that were directly involved in the conflict have to spare enough recovery time so that it can realign its approach and mandate. England took this time off to evaluate its position in the global market and determine if it was a source of influence to the others.

The French and Indian War was a conflict between France’s and British America’s allies. Each opposing side supported an ally based on the comparative advantage they would enjoy due to the established trade patterns. European nations failed to unite and declared a state of war. Territorial battles also triggered the commencement of the French and Indian War as each side claimed the other had overtaken its boundaries. England’s allies were large in number wand ere better organized which gave it a comparative advantage. England’s victory in the French and Indian War led to the loss of its American colonies after it spent most of its resources and workforce in the 7 years conflict, and unforeseen disputes between the leaders on the best policies to use to manage the new areas (Class Notes, YouTube). England had a comparative advantage over its developed status in the world due to civilization which meant it had superior weapons and was more organized compared to its enemies. Arguably, England had the financial means to support the conflict for the 7 years it took place without running out of resources.

Different ideologies on how to manage the colonies as well as the decision to impose the taxation strategy on them to help manage the debt created cracks in England’s ability to manage its acquired territories across the world. The lack of unified ideologies amongst the masters was the beginning of internal issues in England’s ability to oversee and manage its wealth and resources.

England’s victory in the French and Indian War led to the ultimate loss of its American colonies since the British expected their colonialists would fund the war activities due to the advantage they had enjoyed of secured borders. England had spent a considerable large percentage of its resources to support the war and still maintain influence on its colonies. The colonial masters had been forced to take loans from different areas so that they could supplement their available resources. The colonial masters were non-committal as they believed they were not liable for the activities that had taken in the past. Britain reacted by having a military reaction from the colonial masters who reacted as they were being forced to take part in paying debts they had not directly accumulated (Class Notes, YouTube). England no longer had the workforce and dynamics to engage in a war immediately after the one against the French and Indian had ended, and it begrudgingly lost its North American colony. England had not expected to finance the debt since it perceived its colonies would act as a stable source of income. A rebellion in the form of a Revolution was unexpected and unforeseen by England masters.

Conclusion

The British debt was one of the main factors that helped Americans to win the Revolution. This is because England experienced a financial setback after being in a 7-year conflict which had forced the country to invest its resources in the conflict to give it a competitive edge against its competitors. After the war, Britain was in large economic debts and it was financially unprepared to stage or support another conflict. It made unsuccessful attempts to impose the burden on colonialists who had opposed this move. Colonialists reacted by creating unrest that resulted in active hostilities and war. The Britain masters did not expect such a reaction and the war dragged for a long period. After the England victory in the French and Indian War, the colonial masters were undivided on the best approach to use to manage and oversee the new set of activities that were taking place in the region.