Chapter 17 Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples, Colonisation and Contact History->Section

17.1 What were the reasons for the colonisation of North America and what effects did this
have?->Colonisation and contact history

section

17.1What were the reasons for

the colonisation of North America
and what effects did this have?
In this section you will be introduced to the study of contact and colonisation history. You will
explore some key terms and learn about the experiences of native peoples and settlers
during the colonisation of North America by Europeans from the 15th century through the
19th century. We will also look closely at important aspects of Native American cultures from
the early 17th century to the Plains Wars of the mid-19th century.

Colonisation and contact history

World history from 1750 to 1918 was dominated by the expansion of European empires.
European powers such as Britain, France, Spain and Portugal established new settlements,
or communities, in the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific region. In sending their settlers
to these territories outside Europe, the intention of European powers was to colonise new
lands. In other words, they meant to take control of the land and its inhabitants, imposing
their culture, economy and system of government. Extending power by colonising is known
as imperialism.
To the Indigenous peoples who had inhabited these areas for tens of thousands of years,
European settlements represented an invasion. From their point of view, the newcomers
occupation of traditional lands was done without their agreement. When conflicts erupted,
settlers had the advantage because their weapons were far more advanced than those of
Indigenous peoples. Also, settlers were often accompanied by armed soldiers or a ships
crew. A key to understanding colonisation and contact history is to examine events from both
sides of the story. In recent decades, for example, historians have referred to the arrival of
the British in Australia as both invasion and settlement.

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Source 17.6 Colonial empires in 1815

Apply 17.1
1 Write definitions for the words invasion, occupation, colonisation and settlement in your
own words. Compare your definitions with those of a partner and discuss any differences.

2 With reference to Source 17.6, list the continents where Britain, France and Spain had
colonies.

European imperialism had its origins in the Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain
around 1750. This was a time when new ways of manufacturing, using factories and
machinery, were being developed. Europes colonies provided a source of raw materials
such as cotton, wool and timber that were needed to supply the new industries. The
colonies themselves provided new markets for goods that were now being produced in great
quantities. This created great wealth for Europes merchants and industrialists.
The race to seize and settle new territories was also about competing for global power and
influence. Europeans felt justified in imposing their culture and values on Indigenous
peoples, as they believed their customs were more evolved and civilised than those of
Indigenous peoples. They had a right to civilise native peoples and make them behave and
think like Europeans, and have Christian beliefs.

Apply 17.2
1 Source 17.7 is an early map of Australia, then called New Holland. It dates from before
Cooks first voyage to the Pacific, from 1768 to 1771. Find a map of Australia that was
created after this voyage, and compare the maps. Suggest how Cooks map helped Britain
to colonise Australia.

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2 Discuss whether it is fair to claim ownership of land based on the first mapping, or the first
raising of a flag.

Colonisation patterns of
supplanting societies
The Australian historian David Day has described the European colonies of this period as
supplanting societies. This means that Europeans took over the lands of other societies
and supplanted, or replaced, the groups that had previously lived there. Day says that
Europeans created a new version of the history of the lands they colonised by telling their
own stories and legends about explorers and pioneers. For example, in North America, the
Wild West and the figure of the cowboy are now key aspects of US history and folklore.
Similarly, Australia has stories about the outback, drovers and the explorers.
There were also common ways in which Europeans established their claims to new lands:

using maps drawn by European explorers to claim the land on the basis
that they were the first to discover it

raising a flag or putting up some kind of marker

naming places with links to their own country, often using the word new.
For example, New South Wales was named by James Cook because the
coastline reminded him of Wales in Britain. The city of New York was first
called New Amsterdam by the Dutch until the British took control and
named it after York in England.

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Source 17.7 A French map of Australia, then known as New Holland (Nouvelle
Hollande in French), from before 1770

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Source 17.8 An artists impression of the moment when Governor Arthur Phillip
raised the British flag to claim all of the east coast of Australia

Review 17.2
1 Explain why European powers competed to establish colonies around the world.

2 What was one European justification for taking control of land already occupied by
Indigenous peoples?

3 How did Europeans claim ownership of lands?

4 What does David Day mean by the term supplanting society?

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