Historical Background

While the first European explorations happened outside of the United States, there was much that was learned about how they wished to deal with the natives of this new land. From the West Indies and New Spain territories, Spaniards had a plethora of experiences which brought the desire for gold, silver, and agricultural resources to be used for the mother country. Besides those goods, the land itself was lusted after, as it could be used as naval bases and trading ports. The people  who reside there were an immense commodity themselves, realizing that many could be enslaved for the purposes of the conquerors, as well as the free natives could offer taxes for the crown to use to continue their establishments. Missions were also established to convert the unbelieving natives into “proper” men, ones who could be baptized and “saved,” as required of Christian men of many faiths. It was these experiences that lay out the setting of the first explorers and colonies in the area known today as the United States.