The colonization of America by Europeans was carried out through the use of violence and evangelization.
The first step to make known the meaning of the term colonization is to proceed to determine its etymological origin. By doing so we will discover that it emanates from Latin and specifically from the union of the following words: the noun "colonus", which is synonymous with "inhabitant"; the verb "izare", which can be translated as "turn into"; and the suffix "-tion", which is equivalent to "action and effect."
Colonization is the action and effect of colonizing (establishing a colony, establishing the residence of those who will cultivate it on land). The term is used in various areas to indicate the occupation or population of a space (colonized) by a group (colonizer), whether human or another species.
What is colonization
In the context of human beings, colonization usually refers to the settlement of a population (settlers) in an uninhabited area . The concept is used as a justification to support the right to occupy a supposedly virgin territory, which implies ignoring a previous occupation by other groups (native or indigenous).
The settlers, in this framework, consider that the original occupation is insufficient and, therefore, it is justified to impose a supposed superiority (cultural, religious, ethnic or any other type).
Space colonization would involve the establishment of self-sustaining and permanent colonies beyond Earth's atmosphere.
The conquest of America by the Europeans
An example of colonization took place in the 15th century , when the Spanish began the conquest of America . The American territory had been inhabited for a long time by various indigenous groups, but the Spanish decided to colonize it through weapons and evangelization.
Among the multiple consequences that the colonization of America had, the following stand out:
• New diseases arrived in the New World that the inhabitants of that continent were not prepared to face. And the same thing happened on the contrary, since the Spaniards and Europeans, subsequently, had to suffer from pathologies unknown to them until that moment.
• The American Indians were treated as subjects of the Spanish Crown.
• The obligation to convert the Native Americans into Christians was imposed and that meant that all kinds of actions were carried out to achieve it. Thus, while some evangelizers opted to strengthen ties with those to demonstrate that they were close to their problems or needs, other methods were more violent.
• There was an exchange between Spain and America of all types of products and elements that neither one nor the other had known about until that moment. Thus, the former allowed them to learn about the vine, rice, lemon, sugar or silk while the latter did the same with corn, potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco or cocoa.
Furthermore, we must not forget that this colonization was also a great step to achieve the globalization of the world economy.
Economic and space colonization
We can speak of economic colonization to name the unequal exchange that occurs between a powerful country and another that has a dependent relationship. Typically, the underdeveloped nation sends raw materials, while the richer nation sends back more expensive manufactured goods.
The hypothetical process that would lead human beings to create permanent and self-sufficient colonies in space is known as space colonization . This colonization was born in science fiction books but is currently a possibility that several countries are working on.