The role of religion was very important, for it had an immense power over the European society. Christianity converted all of Europe including the Spanish, French, and English. Christian doctrine provided a common understanding of God. The church provided authority and discipline in the society. Every village had a church, which thought that Satan constantly challenged God by tempting people into evil. Christianity had played an important role in Portugal and Spain, but it divided Europe into Catholics and Protestants. A protestant rebellion in the Spanish Netherlands drained the wealth of the Spanish and gave resources to expand into North America and brought a new impact of European and Indian people.

Over time, the Catholic Church had become very large and wealthy, controlling resources throughout Europe. In 1517, a German monk and professor, Martin Luther, sold indulgences. These were church certificates that pa

"Luther's challenge to Catholicism came just two weeks before Cortes conquered the Aztec empire, and the two events remained linked (Brody, 24)." Spain became the wealthiest nation in Europe, for it had all the gold and silver from Mexico and Peru. It also made King Phillip II the most powerful ruler. Since religion played an important role, Phillip, and eager Catholic, tried to wipe out Protestantism in the Netherlands. In order to protect their Calvinist faith, the Dutch and Flemish revolted against Spain. Phillip planned to bring back Catholicism in England and then wipe out Calvinism in Holland, but he failed. He had spent so much of his American Gold on wars that by the time of his death, Spain was in serious economical turmoil. Meanwhile, English merchants promoted settlement in Virginia. fled first to the Dutch Republic, then to New England, and then to the West. Many people, English men and women, thought of the idea of migration to America to escape a new wave of religious conflict. King James I rejected more Puritan and Presbyterian reforms. "James threatened to carry them out of the land. Radical Protestants took his word and Indies. The voyage was long but they remained driven by poverty and persecution and hope came along with the New World. The influence of religion in the conquest of the Americas played a very important role. The invasion of Europeans in the New World, religious conversion threatened Indian people with the loss of their land, lives, and age-old cultures and traditions. The Spanish forced the Indians to convert to Catholicism and to wok by digging for gold. When Columbus first arrived in the America, he brought along all his beliefs. "They should be good servants and of quick intellig

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Approximate Word count = 1173
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)