Unit 1 Summary

Catholicism had a large effect on both Spanish and French colonization of America due to the Counter-Reformation, the religion's immense power over European countries, and the conflicts resulting between missionaries and colonists. As the Protestant Reformation began to challenge the authority of the Catholic church, colonization of the Americas was quickly growing. In an act to regain their control on religion, Catholic priests were sent overseas to the new colonizations to convert the natives. This act was "a reform movement meant to stem and reverse the growth of Protestantism by bringing a new rigor and zeal to the Catholic institutions, " otherwise known as the Counter-Reformation. These missionaries, both in French colonies in the north and Spanish colonies in the south, meant to gain a lead in this reformation by converting foreign peoples to the Catholic faith. This religion also played an effect on colonization through the power it quietly held over the Spanish crown and wealthy French. Because both the Spanish and the French, who were generally Catholic, were so devote to their religion, they felt an obligation to spend money on missions and religious buildings in New France and New Spain. Also the Spanish crown gave grants, known as encomiendas, which allowed the holder "a share in the forced labor and annual produce" in exchange for giving protection to the natives they had control over and in promoting "their conversion to Christianity by supporting a priest and building a church". These acts both increased colonization and the exposure of Catholicism to the natives. Conflicts resulting between the missionaries and other colonists affected the way several Indian nations felt towards priests and other converters. The peoples of America valued public harmony and serenity, which was broken with fights and disagreements between the two types of settlers. This resulted in a lack of respect and a clinging to their original culture and ways. In one event, the Pueblo became more unified as the Spanish divided. The Pueblo's grievances and grudge towards the Spanish eventually grew into a successful and violent rebellion against the Catholic faith. In many senses, Catholicism played a generous role in the colonization and settling of the Americas.