Yufei Ma 1006741509
Colonization
Colonization has been an important part to civilizations and has been performed by large amount of nations over time. On one hand, during different Period of ancient Greece such as the Bronze Age, the “Dark Age”, and the Archaic Period, Greek civilizations have colonies around the Mediterranean Sea (Pomeroy 53, 61). One the other hand, started fifteenth century, western European countries such as Spain, Portugal, Germany and Great Britain colonized places all around the world (Magdoff et al.). Despite the large time interval of nearly two thousand years between the colonization of ancient Greek civilizations and the European colonization, there are similar reasons and features for colonization.
During the Bronze Age of ancient Greece, there is evidence showing that Minoan culture, which was on the island Crete, had cultural influence on Thera, another small island in the north of Crete (Pomeroy 22). Although such influence of Minoan culture was not considered colonization, the similar “art, architecture, religion, dress, and lifestyle” suggest communications between different cultures in different geographical locations and influence of one culture on another (Pomeroy 22). It may be inferred that the prerequisite of colonization is communication.
In the late “Dark Age”, specifically in the eighth century, Greek colonizers, in order to have land to farm, developed colonies in “southern Italy and Sicily” (Pomeroy 53). At the same time, Greeks also sailed west to trade, forming colonies such as “Al Mina” and “Pithecusae” around the Mediterranean (Pomeroy 53). The reasons of these colonizers establishing colonies were the desire of farmland and trading opportunities, which would bring “profit” to colonizers and provide more workplace for “craftsmen, sailors, shipbuilders and outfitters, and haulers” in local villages (Pomeroy 54). Such benefits of increased workplace may in turn stimulate the process of colonization and having more people become colonizers.
During the Archaic Greece, more colonies were established because of the rising population from eighth to sixth century (Pomeroy 61). According to Pomeroy, the colonies were from Spain to Colchis and the reasons for such expansion were more farmland and the desire for “imported goods” (65). Therefore, the reasons for ancient Greek colonization from the Bronze Age to especially the Archaic Age were desire of more farmland, rising population, and trading opportunities that brought more workplaces for local people, more profit for colonizers and farmers, and foreign products. In addition, according to Hesiod, the motivation for people to trade may be to “escape from debt” and “hunger” (647-650). This suggests that the spread of colonies may also be driven by those people who tried to escape from debt and, accord with the increase of population and desire for farmland, those who tried to improve their living conditions. Religious also played a great role during the preparation of colonization (Pomeroy 65). When the “Theraeans” were going to establish the colony in “Cyrene”, the order of establishing the colony was “told” by “Apollo” (“Foundation Oath of Cyrene, Libya”; cited by Pomeroy 65). This suggests that the religious was one of the reasons of colonization. As a result of the colonization, the “Greek world” were from Spain to Colchis by 500BC, which can be considered a cultural spread (Pomeroy 61).
There are similar reasons and features between European colonization and Greek colonization. Scramuzza mentions similarities between English colonization and Greek colonization (2). When facing overpopulation, England used methods of Chalcis, Athens, and Sparta of Greece, which are founding new colonization oversea, specialized agricultural manufacture, and conquering Ireland (Scramuzza 2). Similar to ancient Greek, one of the reasons of English Colonization is the increase of population. At first, with the rise of Ottoman Turk and the desire of products of Asia, European countries “resented” the “dominance of trade” and started to make discoveries on sea (Magdoff et al.). The European colonization was also driven by world trade and the desire for resources such as gold and ivory (National Geographic Society). World trade can bring large amount of profit. In sixteenth century, Spain aimed to monopolized the world trade in order to maximize the profit (Magdoff et al.). The desire of trade was also in companies that tried to gain profit through trades in colonies (Magdoff et al.). In eighteenth century, in order to increase influence of trade, there were even conflicts between British and French companies (Magdoff et al.) With the gold and silver in America, Spain has become rich (National Geographic Society). The profit from resources in colonies was a reason that not only individuals but also the royals were expanding colonies (Magdoff et al.).
While slavery nearly disappeared in “medieval Europe”, it started to become popular in sixteenth century by Portuguese (Magdoff et al.). In sixteenth century, the decrease of Indian caused a shortage in human labor in America, which was compensated by slaves from Africa (Magdoff et al.). It is stated that between 1700 and 1786, Jamaica offered 610000 slaves, which was a huge number of human labor (Magdoff et al.). Such human labor was another driving force of colonization. The “[plantations]” of colonies of England, France, the Netherland, and Denmark in “West Indian islands” were cultivated by the black people (Magdoff et al.). These plantations may also suggest the role of farmlands in colonization.
Other than the increase of population, the desire for world trade, and the desire resources of gold, silver, and slave, religion was also an important part in European colonization. On one hand, during fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the Portuguese could not “[tolerate]” religions other than Catholicism, so they converted some local people of Africa and Asia into Christians (Magdoff et al.). On the other hand, in 1620, a group of English people left England for America since they thought that the Church in England was “corrupt” (National Geographic Society). In conclusion, some of the reasons of European colonization started in fifteenth century were increased local population, profit from world trades, and resources of gold, silver, and slave.
Despite the large time interval between the European colonization started in fifteenth century and the ancient Greek colonization that started to flourish during eighth to fifth century, they share similar reasons and features such as the increase of population, the requirement of farmland, the desire for trade and resources, and the interference of religions.
Work Cited
Hesiod. Works and Days. Translated. Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Harvard University Press.
London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.
Magdoff, Harry et al. “Western colonialism”. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Nov 04, 2020.
National Geography Society. “Motivation for Colonization”. National Geography. May 19,
2020. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/motivations-colonization/
Pomeroy, Sarah. A Brief History of Ancient Greece. Oxford University Press. Published.
New York. 2004.
Scramuzza, Vincent M. “Greek and English Colonization”. The American Historical
Review, vol. 44, no. 2, 1939, pp. 304. Published. Oxford University Press on behalf of
American Historical Association.