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The processes of colonising America – a short history

The period before the arrival of the European population is called the Pre‑Columbian era. During this period, diverse population groups lived in the American area with different degrees of economic and cultural development. Among the most organised were the Mayansthe Mayansthe Mayans, who inhabited Mexico and Central America, and the Incansthe Incansthe Incans, who lived in the North and South Andes. These peoples domesticated and grew many plants, which, with time, were brought to the other continents. Among them are: beans, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and cassava.

The process of the colonisation of America is characterised by wave after wave of migration, which were unevenly distributed over time. The original period, in which Europeans settled America, began in the 16th century and took over a fairly densely populated area in the region of Central America. It was mainly the Spanish and the Portuguese who began to flow to this area. Immigrants settled, above all, the region closest to us, the East Coast of America. The coastal areas of today's Brazil had a favourable climate for sugar cane plantations, the crops of which were sent to Europe. The local population began to be used as a workforce, but in a relatively short time this population was exhausted by the hard work and diseases accidentally introduced by Europeans. At this time, black inhabitants of Africa began to be brought and used to work on the plantations. This exceptional process of exporting people from one continent and transporting them to another as slaves to America began in the third decade of the 16th century. The practice, which lasted almost three centuries, led to the origin of mixed communities, or Mulattos – descendants of white and black people, Mestizos – descendants of the white and Native American populations, and ZambosZambosZambos – descendants of Native American and black inhabitants.
The Native Indian population in the region of Central America and South America still lives in Mexico, the Central Andes, and the Amazon. They have maintained a distinct cultural identity and language.

The gallery below shows the representatives of Native Americans.

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Na ilustracji kula ziemska z zaznaczonym czerwonym punktem na granicy Wenezueli i Brazylii. Obok znajduje się twarz kobiety z krótkimi ciemnymi włosami. Na twarzy ma czarne kropki, a nos i broda są przebite patyczkami, w uszach ma ozdoby z piór. Podpis – Yanomami woman - Venezuela, Brazil.

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Na ilustracji kula ziemska z zaznaczonym czerwonym punktem – Alaska – USA (Stany Zjednoczone Ameryki). Obok twarz kobiety w futrzanej czapce. Podpis – Inupiat woman – Alaska – USA.

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Na ilustracji kula ziemska z zaznaczonym czerwonym punktem – Montana – USA (Stany Zjednoczone Ameryki). Obok twarz mężczyzny z długimi splecionymi włosami, w uszach ozdoby. Podpis – An Indian from the Apsaalooke tribe – Montana – USA.

The continental part of North America was settled somewhat later than the regions of South and Central America, and the immigration processes took a different course. The colonisation, whose goal was to settle the newly discovered continent, began at the beginning of the 17th century. Colonizers started to flood from England to the East Coast of North America.

Familiarise yourself with the information presented on the map below,  about the distribution of human races in America.

The following years consisted of the colony's constant development on the basis of agriculture, as well as the profitable trade of furs with the Indians. An important crop, which made it possible for the settlers to survive the first, most difficult period, was tobacco. It became very popular in England, which lead to great developments in its cultivation. The strong workforce needed for the plantations was slaves. At the same time, the indigenous population was displaced, with large groups of colonizers introduced to the newly settled terrain. Other than English settlers, newcomers to North America also arrived from France, who occupied the area of modern day Canada in addition to the state of Louisianna in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the British colonizers were at an advantage and introduced their customs and laws to the greater area. With time, a multi‑ethnic society with diverse religions and cultures was formed on the East Coast of North America.

The maps above contain information about which nations colonised America and where the indigenous American population currently lives, meaning the Inuits (Eskimos) and Indians. In Central America, the majority of Indians live in Guatemala and Mexico, and in South America – in Peru and Bolivia. The number of Indians is estimated to be around 40 million.
The English language is used today in the United States of America (USA) and in Canada, where the second official language is French. Two languages dominate south of the USA's border with Mexico – Spanish and Portuguese. This border divides America into two regions – Anglo‑Saxon America and Latin America. At the same time, this line divides America into the rich northern part and the significantly poorer and less economically developed southern part.

Contemporary population distribution in America

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a great influx of European immigrants to America began. In 1900, around 144 million people lived in these lands. Today, almost a billion live there, and the average population density is 23 people per 1 kmIndeks górny 2². America's population distribution is very uneven, which was mainly determined by three factors:

• the fact that the colonizers settled on the coast – Europeans, who were the largest population group to settle America, arrived on the east coasts of both continents; this is where the first settlements were formed, and from here the colonisation moved West; besides this, newcomers from Asia arrived on the West coast and they, along with Europeans, created the foundations for settlement on these terrains;

• variation in the natural environment – the mountains (the Cordilliera, the Andes), the dense, humid equatorial forest, and the polar climate in the north limited the development of settlements;

• the existence of large and densely populated areas of Indians in the Central Mexican Plateau and in the Andes.

The map below shows the contemporary population distribution in America.

There is currently a very high level of urbanisation on both continents, with an average of around 80%; in South America, as much as 83% of the population lives in cities. Cities based on the European model started to be built in America in the 16th and 17th centuries. They are, therefore, young cities with a shorter history than those of the Old World. The rapid development of the network of cities on these continents took place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries along with capitalist economic development. The main characteristic of urbanisation in America is the original location of the largest cities in the coastal belt and the fact that these cities have maintained the position of the most important.
In North America, large cities were created as the next stages of settlement moved towards the West.

In South America and Central America two types of urban settlements occur:

• coastal – which dominate in the majority of countries in the region;

• inland – typical of highland countries, where the capital, being the largest urban settlement, is located at a great height. Such cities are: Mexico City – the capital of Mexico, 2200 metres above sea level; Bogota – the capital of Columbia, 2600 metres above sea level; Quito – the capital of Equador, 2800 metres above sea level; La Paz – the capital of Bolivia, 3700 metres above sea level

Halfway through the 20th century, the significant development of cities led to the creation of new forms of urban space, the so‑called megalopolismegalopolismegalopolis (gr. mega – 'very large', polis – 'city'). In North America, the BosWash Megalopolis was formed along the East coast, covering the urban area between Boston and Washington. It is the largest urban structure in the world. On the West coast of the United States, the SanSan Megalopolis was formed, spanning from San Diego to San Francisco. In South America, a similar form of urban structure has been created in the region located between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo – the Sao‑Rio Megalopolis.
America was the largest area in the history of mankind, in which, during a period of around 300 years, a complete change in population took place. The local population was either devastated, or had to adapt to the laws and customs of the population groups arriving from the Old World. What were the causes of migration to America? They were diverse, but one of the most important was the desire for better living conditions, in other words, economic motives. There were also often political or religious motives.
Poles also migrated to America. The majority of our countrymen reached there at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as after the second world war and after 1981, when martial law was introduced in Poland. Poles mainly settled in the United States of America – they are estimated to number over 10 million there. The city with the largest Polish community – around 600 thousand – is Chicago. 900 thousand people, who maintain a relationship with our homeland, live in Canada. In South America, the population originating in Poland lives above all in two countries: in Brazil, around 1.8 million and in Argentina around 450 thousand. Besides this, our countrymen can be found in Chile, Uraguay and Mexico, where around 10 thousand of them live.
Poles, in a similar fashion to representatives of other nations, helped to lay the foundations of statehood in many American countries. Some of them have been permanently written into the history of American states.

Keywords

colonisation, megalopolis, urbanisation, Mestizo, Mulatto, Latin America

Glossary