The relations between the Europeans and natives in British and Spanish America had both similarities and differences. The Spanish began to colonize the Americas earlier than the British, and their goal was to resolve the problem of the workforce shortage in the Spanish Empire. As a result, the exploitation and enslavement of the American Indians was the characteristic features of the relations between the Spanish and American natives.
In spite of the fact that the Spanish monarchy planned to treat the Native Americans humanely, the colonists could not lose the opportunity to use the free labor of the American Indians. That is why, to colonize the natives who were discussed as barbarians, much attention was paid to proclaiming the superiority of the Spanish and to the necessity of Christianizing Indians. As a result of the active colonization, the Europeans and natives in Spanish America became mixed because of the exchange of religions and cultures and because of the intermarriage. Moreover, many natives could not bear the burdens of exploitation and committed mass suicide.
Although the British also focused on using Indians as the cheap workforce, they were less successful in fighting the natives, and the main challenge was the land occupancy. The British paid more attention to winning the Indians’ lands than to exploiting them as slaves. However, the British, like the Spanish, understood the necessity of Christianizing the Indians of North America.
While trying to civilize Indians and occupy their territories, the British developed a lot of conflicts in their relations with the American natives. If the Indians of Spanish America were less adapted to the challenge of colonization, the Indians of North America continued to oppose the British invasion during a long period of time. That is why, the relations between the Europeans and American Indians were based on promotion of the idea of cultural superiority.