WHAT IS COLONIZATION? MAIN FEATURES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The colonization is a form of domination in which two groups involved: a dominator group, also known as colonial power, and a group dominated undergoing will dominator.

This phenomenon is generally associated with the possession of the territory. However, colonization is also understood as the control or influence that one group has over the culture or behavior of another group.

For example, the Spanish colonized the Latin American aborigines through Catholicism.

The term colonization often appears alongside the term imperialism. These two names are related; however, they are not synonymous. The difference lies in the presence or absence of settlers in the place.

That is, if the dominating group establishes itself in the conquered territory permanently, then we speak of colonization.

On the other hand, if the territory is only dominated through political influence without occupying it, then it is imperialism.

Causes of colonization

There are various reasons why a nation decides to expand through conquest and colonization. Among these, the economic, political, geostrategic and cultural factors stand out.

Economic factors

When it comes to colonization, economic factors are one of the most important causes. Among the economic causes, the following stand out:

- The need for new markets in which to buy and sell. For example, in the 15th century Christopher Columbus organized an expedition to India due to the need for new markets to commercialize European products.

- The need for raw materials. Colonized territories can be exploited to extract minerals, agricultural products, among others.

- The desire to have new territories in which to invest, building structures that will generate economic benefits in the future, such as railways and ports, among others.

Political factors

Political factors include the existence of nationalism, which promoted the expansion of countries beyond their territorial limits, and the desire to demonstrate power.

For example, in the 19th century the idea was used that the more colonies there were, the more powerful the nation was.

Geostrategic factors

Many nations colonized other areas for the strategic advantages that the territory offered.

For example, in the 19th century the United Kingdom colonized Gibraltar, Malta and other islands to facilitate the passage of ships from the kingdom to India and vice versa.

Cultural and scientific factors

In the 16th century, Europeans justified colonization in America by asserting that it was their duty to bring Catholicism and Christian values ​​to aboriginal peoples.

From a scientific point of view, many explorers undertook colonial expeditions out of the desire to make a discovery like the one Columbus had made in the 15th century.

Examples of colonization

Some examples of colonization are the processes that occurred in Latin America and Australia.

South America

When the Spanish arrived in America, they thought they had arrived in India. They soon discovered that they had found a new continent.

Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas to divide the American territory between these two nations.

The eastern faction of South America would be for Portugal, while the rest would be for Spain.

1- Colonization in Argentina

Argentina was conquered in 1524. From this year it was part of the government of Nueva Andalucía. In 1542 it became part of the viceroyalty of Peru.

In 1776 the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata was created. The Argentine territory was part of this viceroyalty until 1816, the year in which it declared its independence.

2- Colonization in Mexico

Mexico was conquered by Hernán Cortés, who allied himself with the Tlaxcala, an Aztec tribe that was at war with the rulers of the Empire.

With the help of these aborigines, Cortés dominated Mexican territory in just three years. In 1521 the Spanish established a colony in Mexico.

This colony was of benefit to the Spanish, who exploited the territory to obtain precious minerals (mainly gold and silver), agricultural products such as corn, wheat, coffee and sugar, among others.

In addition, this colony served to expand the Spanish market. Thus commercial relations were established with other colonies in America, such as the French in Canada and the British in the United States.

In 1810 Mexico began the process of independence, and in 1820 it became a republic free from the influence of the Spanish.

3- Colonization in Venezuela

In the third expedition of Columbus, the Spaniards reached Venezuelan territory (1498 - 1499). In 1522 the first settlement was established in the area that today is Cumaná, Sucre state.

Later the province of Venezuela was created, whose capital was Caracas. During the colonial period, Venezuela's economy focused on the production of coffee, indigo, sugar cane, and cocoa.

Other important activities were livestock and mining, especially the extraction of gold and precious stones.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Venezuelans began to show their discontent with the Spanish authorities.

In 1811 the Act of Independence was signed. Finally, in 1821 Venezuela definitively separated from Spain.

Australia

In 1770 Captain James Cook arrived in Australian territory. On August 23 of that same year, he declared that the bay to which he had arrived would be the possession of the United Kingdom from then on.

Between 1801 and 1803 Matthew Flinders, a British naval officer, circumnavigated the continent and thus the first maps of Australia were drawn.

Despite the fact that the majority of Europeans considered the Australian territory to be a desert and uninhabitable area, the British saw it as a strategic point.

The colonies in Australia provided a base for the United Kingdom's naval forces. In addition, the annexation of new territories allowed a solution to a problem that was affecting the kingdom: overcrowded prisons.

Until 1850 thousands of prisoners from UK prisons were sent to Australia, which became the first penal colony.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia ceased to be a colony and became an independent part of the United Kingdom.

References

1. A Definition of Colonialism. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from PDFusers.clas.ufl.edu
2. Colonial Argentina. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from wikipedia.org
3. Colonial Venezuela. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from wikipedia.org
4. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from revolutionbythebook.ak.press.org
5. Colonialism, Nationalism, Neocolonialism. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from columbia.edu
6. Colonization and Decolonization. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from warriorpublications.files.wordpress.com
7. Spanish Colonization in Mexico. Retrieved on November 25, 2017, from spanishcolonizationinmexico.weebly.com