European contact significantly changed the lives of Native Americans. First, Europeans’ diseases previously unknown to the continent led to whole tribes succumbing to smallpox and other infections. The invaders brought domesticated animals (horses and cattle), which helped Native Americans acquire new resources. However, the long-term legacy is the significant decrease in numbers of Native American people and their land ownership limitation – some tribes dissolved, while others were restricted to reservations.
At first, indentured servants arrived in the US with hopes to eventually own land, although their treatment was harsh. The Virginia Slave Codes of 1705 limited Black people’s rights regardless of their status by taking away the right to own arms, making a whole population defenseless. At the same time, the elites became wary of indentured servants’ claim to the land. Wealthy whites started using the Slave Codes to limit Black people’s rights and turned to Africa for slave labor, which replaced indentured servitude.
Upon arrival, the colonists quickly learned that the land had many different zones where some produce would grow better than others. They established a trading system where most goods were agricultural. In some regions, such as New England, farming was difficult because of the weather, but the colonists took over forests, developing a lumbering industry and shipbuilding. The land also had many natural ports, where the colonists established trade relations with European nations. However, the British system’s mercantilist laws led to imposing taxes and stifled industrialization. This contributed to the rise in American colonists’ revolutionary ideas.
Although the British Empire gained many new territories from the Seven Years’ War, it also accrued significant debt. The empires’ government had to oversee a vast number of colonies, making it difficult for the empire to control all occupied lands. The American colonies were dissatisfied with the Royal Proclamation of 1763 – it limited their ability to invade new territories and expand the colonization. This decision created a rift between settlements and the British government.
The American Revolution could be called a revolution since it was a change in political power – the colony under British rule turned into an independent country with a different government structure. However, it did not result in significant positive changes for enslaved people, Native Americans, and women. Slavery in North America lasted longer than in the former British Empire. The Proclamation of 1763 that somewhat protected Native American borders was made null, allowing colonists to destroy the native population further.