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Difficulty: MediumEuropean Colonization Models

"Let the Indians be well treated, and let them be instructed in our Holy Catholic Faith... And let them not be burdened with excessive tributes or labor, but rather let them be brought to live in towns like civilized people, serving both God and the King."
— Royal Instructions to Governor Pedro de Peralta of New Mexico, 1609

Which of the following best describes how the Spanish approach to colonization outlined in the excerpt differed from the British model of colonization in North America?

  1. A
    The Spanish colonization model sought to foster local economic self-sufficiency and free trade for Native Americans, whereas the British model was designed to enrich the mother country through state-controlled mercantilist trade networks.
  2. The Spanish incorporated Native Americans into their colonial social hierarchy and economic systems, whereas British colonists generally excluded Native Americans from colonial society and established separate agricultural communities.Answer
  3. C
    The Spanish system of labor relied on Native Americans as voluntary indentured servants who could gain land and freedom after a set period of labor, whereas British colonists relied entirely on hereditary chattel slavery from the start of colonization.
  4. D
    The Spanish system focused on developing family-based covenant communities centered on subsistence farming, similar to the British colonization model in the tobacco-growing Chesapeake region.

Answer

The Spanish incorporated Native Americans into their colonial social hierarchy and economic systems, whereas British colonists generally excluded Native Americans from colonial society and established separate agricultural communities.
The correct answer is correct because the Spanish colonization model focused on subjugating Native American populations, converting them to Catholicism (as indicated by the instruction to teach them the 'Holy Catholic Faith'), and integrating them into colonial economic systems. In contrast, British colonization in North America was characterized by large-scale settler migration, including family units, which focused on agricultural land acquisition, resulting in the exclusion and displacement of Native Americans rather than their integration into colonial society.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document for key features of Spanish colonization.
The 1609 instructions to the Governor of New Mexico emphasize converting Native Americans to Catholicism and organizing them into towns to serve the Crown and God, reflecting a goal of cultural conversion and economic subordination.
This establishes the characteristic features of the Spanish colonial model: integration, conversion, and utilization of native labor.
2
Compare the Spanish model of integration with the British model of colonization.
British colonists, arriving in larger numbers and often in family units, sought to establish agricultural settlements that did not rely on native labor or integration, leading to the displacement and exclusion of Native Americans.
This identifies the key divergence between the settler-colonial model of the British and the conquest/incorporation model of the Spanish.
3
Evaluate the answer choices to identify the correct contrast and eliminate options containing historical misconceptions.
Confirm that the correct option accurately contrasts Spanish integration with British exclusion, and eliminate distractors that misrepresent mercantilism, conflate British colonial regions, or confuse labor systems.
To ensure the selected option is historically accurate and directly supported by the stimulus and historical context.

Key Concept

Comparison of European Colonization Models
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

European Colonization Models

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