Motivations for Colonization: An Analysis of Hakluyt's Discourse

This essay analyzes Richard Hakluyt's 'Coming to America' (A Discourse of Western Planting), focusing on his motivations for advocating English colonization. Hakluyt aimed to convince Queen Elizabeth I to support colonization schemes, encouraging investment from merchants and gentry. The primary justifications included providing markets for English exports, accessing raw materials, building up England's gold supply, and spreading Protestantism. Hakluyt's mercantilist perspective emphasized increasing the nation's wealth through favorable trade balances, viewing colonies as tools to enhance England's business and trading power. Despite initial low interest, Hakluyt's promotion of colonization ultimately led to England establishing colonies in America, driven by the promise of wealth, expansion of Protestantism, and nationalistic ambitions. Desklib provides access to this essay and other study resources for students.

Running head: COMING TO AMERICA
COMING TO AMERICA
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1COMING TO AMERICA
The English writer Richard Hakluyt (1553-1616) is well known for the promotion of the
English Colonization of North America through his various works (Szönyi, 2018). He was one
among the earliest proponents of English colonisation. One such piece was ‘Coming to
America’. The essay aims to discuss the motivation of European and African in the American.
The primary purpose for the creation of the document was for convincing Queen
Elizabeth I in order to support the colonisation schemes, invest in those enterprises and
encourage English merchants. There were several reasons that were justified and taken as the
valid reasons for the immigrating to England. The geographer, Richard Hakluyt was the initiator
for colonising America. Several early attempts by England to establish their colonisation failed.
It was the Richard Hakluyt that promoted colonies and collected accounts of English exploitation
by publishing some of the 1580s that made the initiation. It even maintained the momentum for a
colony that was to be supported by the government. The justifying reasons to start a colony by
England according to Hakluyt were in the perspective of benefits. The first reason was to provide
a market for English exports. English goods would have more market for trading. Colonisation
would lead to a bigger market for the products that were made by English manufacturers which
would bring in national benefits. Raw materials could be obtained from the colonised country
was the second reason. England could manufacture products using raw materials which are
highly valuable. The value of raw materials was well known by England, and it was Hakluyt who
presented the idea of using colonised nations as the source of raw materials. By colonising state,
England would be able to build up its gold supply with the method of increasing trade. A
religious reason that was presented under the justification was gaining the Protestant faith to the
Americas (Hakluyt, 1877). To make the nation powerful in terms of wealth and position the
colonization was the process and could make it happen.

2COMING TO AMERICA
In order to understand from an overall perspective, the primary goal of mercantilism was
to increase the nation’s money by creating a trade. The trade that was planned was only
favourable to them. It would give them more exports than imports to the nation. England became
the giant joint stock company where each of the investors would get pieces of ownership named
as shares of stock. The nations that England would colonize were to be used in order to increase
the business and trading of the nation.
Hakluyt mentioned in his books that England should be at the forefront when it comes to
exploration and colonisation. England decided to begin establishing colonies in America
although there was only little interest in colonising America. Despite the low interest, America
colonised for it was promoted by the Richard Hakluyt. For better possibilities of wealth,
expansion of protestant, nationalism and many other reasons that sounded promising and
justified to England for establishing colonies in America.

3COMING TO AMERICA
References:
Hakluyt, R. (1877). A Discourse on Western Planting, written in the year 1584 (Vol. 2). Press of
J. Wilson and son.
Szönyi, G. E. (2018). Broadening Horizons of Renaissance Humanism from the Antiquity to the
New World. Primerjalna Knjizevnost, 41(2), 5-34.