The colonialism of the Spanish, British, and French allowed for the spread of Christianity. The idea was that by spreading the word of Christ to other cultures and the Natives, this expansion resulted in converting many to Christianity. However, the reality was that many of the natives resented the effort, looking at it as an intrusion into their culture. Of course there were also those that used religion as an excuse to gain more power. Spain obtained their settlements by insisting that it was their duty to convert the native residents to Christianity. With seeing the violence and greed that existed in Spain’s colonies, the idea that their intent was to convert Natives is a bit of a travesty. This controversy only served to cause more tension between religious factions. The integration of Catholicism and national identity into one force prevented secularization from taking place. Dichotomy between rural society and their support of traditional religion with conservative moral, against the urban liberal views had to be considered (White). More competition for religion was also needed. Some worry the Catholicism had a monopoly on Spanish religion, and that for society to embrace secularization they must be free to embrace change and choice. Secularization’s aim is to look at the failure of monopolizing religions (White). Differentiation, rationalization, and worldliness are also all core concepts to secularization theory, and to the Spanish’s idea of colonization. Increasing the differentiation of religion from other social institutions and removing such a wide ranging authority over individuals, organizations, and society is the goal of these theories (White).
Those that disapprove of secularization fear that without the influence of religion that discord will occur from the lack of unity. Traditions are hard to break especially when they are so engrained in the national identity. Those in favor of tradition disapprove of making a move towards secularization, feeling that the old ways are still the most moral option. Those in favor of secularization believe that more liberal views will only give Irish citizens a change to choose their own values. They emphasize that they do not wish to erase religion’s influence from society, but merely modernize and allow for choice. The Counter Reformation was a failure to impose Catholicism and only the beginning of the battle (pg. 397, 401). He notes that while the Spanish may have suffered a defeat in the short term they quickly recovered and the events essentially accomplished little is anything. To the people of Spain keeping to Catholicism was in the best interest of Spain, to those in the colonies feel that their religious beliefs had been violated.
The conflicts between Spain and other countries was greatly over their desire for colonies. Garrett Mattingly’s book The Armada was a significant in changing the minds of scholars about some of the myths surrounding the conflicts of 1588. Garrett Mattingly used his knowledge of military and political history to give readers an understanding of the forces behind the forces of Spain and England. Mattingly put much thought into writing the book in a way that brings to face the plights of political leaders of the time, most notably Elizabeth I, Henry III, and Philip II. Garrett Mattingly’s theses’ regarding the armada was to provide an in-depth look into the causes and conflicts between Spain and England. Previous works by other authors tended to gloss over and over simplify the factors surrounding these events. Instead of vilifying the Spanish, Mattingly instead commends them on their tactics and sailing skills. Mattingly implies that the reason the Spanish may have lost to the English was due to the fact that the English fought close to their own shores, closer to needed supplies. He speculates throughout the book about whether the outcome would have been different had the battles been fought closer to Spain. Mattingly seems to have great respect for the Spanish’s cunning nature when it came to battle tactics. Many commanders where written in history as foolish or power hungry, however one might also look at this as a desire to improve Spain. Much is open to interpretation regarding how colonization was viewed. For example the reputation of Alonso de Guzman El Bueno, the 7th Duke of Medina. After the wrecking of ships and loss of lives in fleets commanded by the Duke, his reputation was all but ruined in other accounts of the events. Mattingly sought to better explain the actions of Medina Sidonia to give a more accurate portrayal of the circumstances the Duke faced. Mattingly argued that Medina Sidonia was put into command of ships with little food, ammunition, and water, certainly not enough for the battle ahead. Mattingly also argues for those not to judge Medina Sedona for the series of violent storms that ultimately was the cause for destruction of ships and lose of the life on board. Many have felt that this need for colonization was a foolish and misguided attempt on paper, but when one looks at the Spanish perspective, the expansion of the Spanish helped play an important role in the establishment of the cultural influences in many areas of the world. The multi-ethnic and religious beliefs of today was a result of colonization. Spain began their quest for colonization as am attempt at conquering rivals. Achieving power and wealth were the main concerns. Not only were the economies of Spain improved, but also the economies of those under their control. It is often thought that Spain was merely power hungry, but in reality the colonization of Central and South America great improved the economy and provided jobs for the natives.
The colonies benefited from the ethnic diversity developed by colonization. Each colony had their own set of skills and cultural influences. Due to the relatively close proximity of colonies these cultural influences spread to neighboring colonies. Likewise the colonists related what they learned back to their native countries. A wealth of information was gained by the discovery of different cultures. However communication between the Spanish and the colonies was often very strained due to cultural misunderstandings. Even methods of communication were vastly different, such as the written word versus the spoken word. This caused disagreement in any attempts at diplomacy. To the Spanish the written word was law, while natives took all promises and negotiations into account and felt betrayed by the methods of the Spaniards. In conclusion, the history of Spanish colonization should be analyzed from many different perspectives, Spanish was looking to improve its economy and spread the influence of Catholicism. The colonists benefits from the multi-cultural setting but may have also struggled with cultural differences. Other countries vilified Spain, feeling that they were power hungry and intruding upon the colonies. History is written from many different perspectives and can influence how to reader feels about a situation. By trying to understand each parties thought process and goals one can gain a better understanding of colonization as a whole.
Works Cited:
Mattingly, G. (2005). The armada. (p. 464). Mariner Books.
Miller, D. (n.d.). Review: The spanish armada. Retrieved from http://www.boat-links.com/books/reviews/review026.html
White, T. (n.d.). Catholicism and nationalism .Department of Political Science and Sociology, Retrieved from http://www.westminster.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/20099/004WPCC-Vol4-No1-Timothy_J_White.pdf
