In order to compare the Indians of North America with the Spanish and British, one most consider that they were both growing and developing at the same time, but they both came from a different part of the world and were completely cut off from one another. The people from the Old World and the people from the New World both had to learn by trial-and-error as they developed in order to fully understand the ways of the world. Both needed to make a government, laws, religion, and a general way of life for themselves without anything to compare it to. Keeping all of these factors in mind, the Europeans did not have the right to take over the Indian"s land and people. The Indian's wanted peace while the Europeans (Spain in particular) only wanted their religion spread, land, and money.
The Indians" religion differed greatly from that of the Europeans. Their religions were based on nature worship and they had many gods which they built large temples in honor of. The Indians constantly used their religion in their everyday lives, whether it be to ask for rain or to thank the gods for a good harvest. To a Native American, his family, village and clan were the most important group. Also, the role of women in the tribes showed that men and women stood at the same level as far as social power. Women controlled the cultivation, harvest, and distribution of crops and while men were away, the women controlled the village life. The Native American's didn't believe in land ownership, but instead thought of the earth as something that they could "borrow" in order to survive. They were one with nature. In Europe, each man or family would have their own land with set boundaries and they would use it as much as they could. As far as economy is concerned, the Indians did not believe in making a profit. They gave gifts with the expectation that they would get something in return. The Europeans saw all of these things as marks of "savagery" and they did not respect the Indians because they were different.
