Ceremonies of Possession: Ceremonies of Possession: Comparing Spanish, Comparing Spanish, French, and English French, and English

ImperialismImperialism

SRVHS US HistorySRVHS US History

Mr. DavisMr. Davis

I. Introduction: War Against the I. Introduction: War Against the BeaversBeavers

A. The Cultural ExplanationA. The Cultural Explanation Historian Calvin Martin argues that as Historian Calvin Martin argues that as

tribes like the Micmac were influenced by tribes like the Micmac were influenced by Europeans, their culture began to break Europeans, their culture began to break down.down.

European disease European disease swept through swept through Micmac society like Micmac society like a fire storm.a fire storm.

Traditional Traditional attempts at attempts at medicine and medicine and spiritual healing spiritual healing failed.failed.

Some Micmac Some Micmac began to believe began to believe that their spirit that their spirit friends, especially friends, especially the beaver spirits, the beaver spirits, had turned against had turned against them, and had in them, and had in fact declared war fact declared war on the Micmac.on the Micmac.

The Micmac The Micmac retaliated by retaliated by declaring war on declaring war on the beaver, the beaver, abandoning their abandoning their taboostaboos against against killing pregnant killing pregnant beavers and that beavers and that maintained a large maintained a large beaver population.beaver population.

The beaver population plummeted, The beaver population plummeted, leading to a near extinction of the leading to a near extinction of the species in the Micmacs’ hunting species in the Micmacs’ hunting area.area.

B. The Materialist ExplanationB. The Materialist Explanation

Other historians argue that the Other historians argue that the reason for the near extinction of the reason for the near extinction of the beavers was that the Indians were beavers was that the Indians were responding to market forces.responding to market forces.

A fad in Europe of A fad in Europe of beaver skin hats beaver skin hats produced a strong produced a strong demand, and demand, and European traders European traders were willing to were willing to offer high prices for offer high prices for beaver skins.beaver skins.

The Micmac The Micmac particularly desired particularly desired copper kettles, copper kettles, cotton blankets, cotton blankets, and steel hatchets, and steel hatchets, which were more which were more effective than effective than native native technologies.technologies.

The Micmac responded as any people The Micmac responded as any people would: they supplied as many beaver would: they supplied as many beaver skins as the Europeans were willing skins as the Europeans were willing to buy.to buy.

The guns that the Europeans The guns that the Europeans provided helped increase the Indians’ provided helped increase the Indians’ productivity, leading to the near productivity, leading to the near extermination of the beaver.extermination of the beaver.

C. What does it matter?C. What does it matter? However, whatever the cause, However, whatever the cause,

Micmac economic and cultural Micmac economic and cultural systems were radically transformed systems were radically transformed by encounter with the Europeans.by encounter with the Europeans.

II. The Requirement: Spanish II. The Requirement: Spanish JustificationJustification

Upon arrival in a new land, Spanish Upon arrival in a new land, Spanish explorers and conquistadores read a explorers and conquistadores read a legal document to the natives called legal document to the natives called the Requirement.the Requirement.

Spanish GoalsSpanish Goals

The Spanish sought:The Spanish sought:• 1. Conversion of the Indians to 1. Conversion of the Indians to

ChristianityChristianity• 2. Resources (especially precious 2. Resources (especially precious

metals)metals)• 3. Labor for the Spanish 3. Labor for the Spanish encomiendaencomienda

systemsystem

Spanish imperialism might be called Spanish imperialism might be called extractiveextractive

Spanish GoalsSpanish Goals

The Spanish were The Spanish were notnot particularly particularly concerned withconcerned with• Land ownershipLand ownership• TradeTrade

II. Theatrical Rituals: French II. Theatrical Rituals: French Political PossessionPolitical Possession

The French staged elaborate The French staged elaborate ceremonies upon their encounter ceremonies upon their encounter with new Indian groups, rituals in with new Indian groups, rituals in which the Indians played a central which the Indians played a central role.role.

A. Consent: “Conquest by Love”A. Consent: “Conquest by Love”

It was important to the French that the It was important to the French that the Indians themselvesIndians themselves perform the rituals: perform the rituals:

““After they themselves had placed the After they themselves had placed the cross as a sign that they desired to be cross as a sign that they desired to be children of God, they likewise planted with children of God, they likewise planted with the French the arms and standards of the French the arms and standards of France in the middle of their land so that it France in the middle of their land so that it be recognized among all other nations, be recognized among all other nations, that our most Christian king is the that our most Christian king is the sovereign master and peaceable sovereign master and peaceable possessor.”possessor.”

B. AllianceB. Alliance

Consent paved the way for the specific Consent paved the way for the specific political relationship that Frenchmen political relationship that Frenchmen envisioned themselves creating with envisioned themselves creating with natives, namely, an “alliance.”natives, namely, an “alliance.”

Alliance did not mean parity (the French Alliance did not mean parity (the French were clearly the ones with power)were clearly the ones with power)

But it did ensure But it did ensure mutual obligationmutual obligation, , particularly particularly protectionprotection in exchange for in exchange for tradetrade and and allegianceallegiance..

French GoalsFrench Goals

The French desired:The French desired:• 1. Trade1. Trade• 2. Indian conversion to Christianity2. Indian conversion to Christianity• 3. Limited amounts of land upon which 3. Limited amounts of land upon which

to farmto farm

The French were primarily a trading The French were primarily a trading empire.empire.

French GoalsFrench Goals

The French did not particularly The French did not particularly desire:desire:• Slave laborSlave labor• Large tracts of landLarge tracts of land• Gold or silver (since it was nonexistent)Gold or silver (since it was nonexistent)

IV. Houses, Gardens, and Fences: IV. Houses, Gardens, and Fences: Signs of English PossessionSigns of English Possession

““On the 15. of December, they [the On the 15. of December, they [the Pilgrims] wayed [weighed] anchor to Pilgrims] wayed [weighed] anchor to goe to the place they had goe to the place they had discovered…And afterwards tooke discovered…And afterwards tooke better view of the place, and better view of the place, and resolved where to pitch their resolved where to pitch their dwelling; and on the 25 day begane dwelling; and on the 25 day begane to erect the first house for common to erect the first house for common use to receive them and their use to receive them and their goods.”goods.”

The English literally staked their The English literally staked their claim to the land by building fences, claim to the land by building fences, planting gardens, and erecting planting gardens, and erecting buildings that showed their buildings that showed their exclusiveexclusive ownership. ownership.

No ceremony was necessary: No ceremony was necessary: construction created the right of construction created the right of possessionpossession

The English claimed that the Indians had The English claimed that the Indians had no right to land because they had not no right to land because they had not obeyed Scripture:obeyed Scripture:

Genesis 1:28: “God and his Reason Genesis 1:28: “God and his Reason commanded him to subdue the Earth…He commanded him to subdue the Earth…He that in Obedience to this Command of that in Obedience to this Command of God, subdued, tilled and sowed any part of God, subdued, tilled and sowed any part of it, thereby annexed to it something that it, thereby annexed to it something that was his Property.”was his Property.”

English GoalsEnglish Goals

The English primarily came to the The English primarily came to the New World forNew World for• 1. Land1. Land• 2. Work2. Work• 3. Agricultural products (sugar, tobacco, 3. Agricultural products (sugar, tobacco,

wheat, timber)wheat, timber)

Of the three empires, the English can best Of the three empires, the English can best be called a settlement empire: they be called a settlement empire: they desired to live in the New World.desired to live in the New World.

English GoalsEnglish Goals

The English were The English were notnot particularly particularly interested ininterested in• 1. Conversion of the Indians (some 1. Conversion of the Indians (some

believed it impossible; nature of believed it impossible; nature of Calvinism)Calvinism)

• 2. Precious metals (Jamestown 2. Precious metals (Jamestown conquistadores)conquistadores)

• 3. Indian slaves3. Indian slaves