What effects did European colonization have on Native Americans in North America? In your response, be sure to consider: A. what Native American societies were like before Europeans arrived; B. how Europeans imagined they would relate to Native Americans; and C. how things ultimately turned out. Be sure to consider at least two different European colonies that we have studied in this unit (New Spain, Virginia, New England, and the Middle Colonies).

European colonization devastated the lives of Native Americans in the US. Currently about 5 million native Americans live in the US, while the total US population is 329.45 million (roughly 1.5%). The vast majority of Native Americans (78%) currently live in Oklahoma, Arizona, and California. none of these states was a part of the original American colonies so that can give us an idea that the general policy taken by European colonists was to wipe them out.

In the US, Native American societies were not as advanced as those societies in Mexico and Central America (Aztecs and Mayans), or the Incas in South America. At first European colonists didn't confront the Native Americans directly since they actually received a lot of help from them (remember Thanksgiving).

But as American colonies started to grow and develop, Native Americans became a problem because no one likes to be thrown out of their homes, so conflicts started.

Spanish colonists had a religious view on Native Americans and they tried to convert them to Christianity after they took everything that they considered valuable from them. Mexico which is also part of North America, currently has a very large Native American and mestizo population (combined 90%).

On the other hand, British and Dutch colonists took a different approach and once the Native Americans were not useful anymore, they basically killed them all (or the vast majority).

answer; closing the loop;