Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dina M. Lein
FN History 223
Week 2
Hernando de Soto
SUMMARY
Hernando De Soto was a very cruel explorer, he disobeyed the church took Indians captive
and made them serve the Spanish. He went town to town taking their wealth and anything else he
felt he wanted. Hernando De Soto lost many of his men during his exploration because of disease
and starvation. Hernando De Soto was buried in the Mississippi River so that people would
believe that he was an immortal man.
REACTION
Hernando De Soto was a cruel man who only had his own interests at heart. He was filled
with greed and didnt care about the Indians who he was enslaving.
Francisco Vazquez de Coronado
SUMMARY
Vazquez de Coronado who was on a quest to find riches in North America came up empty
hand like many other explorers. In Vazquez de Coronado quest to overtake the southwest territory
he used Indian against Indian to help with his fight. Vazquez de Coronado captured the town of
Arenal and took the Indians prisoners, a few men were able to escape and tell other how Vazquez
de Coronado did not respect them.
REACTION
Once again we see just how miss treated the Native American Indians were during this time
in history. We see how they were enslaved and robbed and forced to fight for their sacred land.
Interregnum: Spanish Ethical Debate
SUMMARY
Francisco de Vitoria was a scholar from Spain; he believed the Western Hemisphere did
belong to the Indians. Because of this the Pope and the church ordered that the Indians be treated
like true men and be set free. The Indians were to be free to enjoy life, liberty and happiness they
were no longer to be enslaved only the conquistadors disobeyed the churches orders
Many of the Indians such as the Oaraca, Chiapa, and the Peruvian Indians believed that the
Spanish authorities would never listen to them, so they had Bartolome de La Casas speak for
them at council. He defended the Indians against the accusations that the Spanish were morally
obliged to conquer the Indians so that their practice of human sacrifices would stop.
REACTION
We can see from this period of history that many of the men ignored the churchs order to
treat the Indians fairly. They used the Indians religion as a cover up for the greed.
Spaniards Return to Florida
SUMMARY
The Spanish returned to Florida in 1559 with 1500 colonists which included Christian farmers
from Mexico, many Coosa Creek women that were taken to Mexico by de Sotos men, landed in
Pensacola to establish a base to protect the Spanish galleons from being plundered. Because of
food shortages Tristan de Luna y Arellano, sent men to Coosa which had not recovered from
Coronados attempted conquest. They had also lost many people to the European diseases and
asked the Spanish to help them revenge and reconquer the Napochies. The Spanish were
impressed with how the Indians fought. This would mark the first time Europeans and Indian
fought together and would have far reaching effect on future battles.
REACTION
As I read this it is the first time that the Europeans had actually helped the Indians with
getting control of their lands. This would become a way of battle in the new world. As it stated
in the reading the Iroquois Confederation is an example of this kind of joining of forces.
The French Arrive in Florida
SUMMARY
The Spanish King, Philip II, sent Jean Ribaut with 150 men in 3 ships to establish a colony in
Northern Florida. It would be a colony of French Protestants called Huguenots. They landed on
the northern banks of the St. Johns River and was greeted by a local chief. Ribaut was allowed
to cross Cusabos land because of his great respect he showed the Indians. The Indians found the
he meant them no harm so they worked together to establish a new settlement called Fort
Caroline. The Spanish had built a fort at St. Augustine. The two had decided to attack each
other one by land the other by sea. The French took their ship into a hurricane and was lost the
survivors were hunted down by the Spanish along with almost 500 French Protestants prisoners
including Ribaut.
The fight between the French and the Spanish for control of Florida coast was the first
international conflict. With the French control gone the Spanish tried to dominate the Cuabos
who had befriended Ribaut; war broke out between the Gaule and the Cuabos. The Spanish
persuaded the Guales to end the war; but then sent troops into nearby towns. They Guales were
impressed with the Christian faith and asked to have missionaries to be sent to the area.
REACTION
The French came to the new world to start colonies rather than for the riches which is
definitely not what the Spanish had intended but with that said it was the first time the Indians
choose to become Christians instead of being force.
European-Indian Relations in the Northeast
SUMMARY
The Indians in the Northeast had a better relationship with Europeans. They were enjoying
the best that Europe had to offer. They were able to trade for manufactured goods like knives
pot and pans, axes, and glass beads from the Europeans like explorer, Jacques Cartier, who came
to Canada and the St. Lawrence River looking for a northwest passage. Cartier took Chief
Donnacona and two of his sons back to France. The chief told of 3 kingdom of Indians in
Canada. The 3 kingdoms are Saguenay, Hochelaga, and Stadacona. He told them that there was
rubies laying on the ground, oranges, cinnamon, cloves, and men that fly like bats; all to get back
to Canada. When Cartier did go back it was without Donnacona because he died in France. He
came to find the fabled kingdoms. Wars were started because of the rivalries between Indians
because of the greed for manufactured goods.
REACTION
The French treated to Indians fairly and traded with them in Canada. Cartier opened up the
northeast to others through their trade.
Perspective
SUMMARY
With the death of Las Casas the patterns of European-Indian relations that would be formed
for centuries to come.
With the coming of the Europeans to the new world, came disease, greed and enslavement.
Though the centuries millions of Indians have died as the result of disease, war, conquest, and
enslavement that the Europeans carried out through their exploration and search for rices.
REACTION