Why Some New World Colonies Succeeded and Others Failed | National Humanities Center

Humanities in Class: Webinar Series

Why Some New World Colonies Succeeded and Others Failed

Thirteen Colonies; Indigenous Americans; Colonialism; American History

Kathleen DuVal (Fellow, 2008–09)

October 13, 2009

In the first two centuries after 1492, most colonies in the New World failed. This workshop explores why, through accounts of failures and successes and discussion about what happened. How much did colonizers’ expectations have to do with success or failure? Were the desires and power of local Indians the most important factors? How large a role did weather and climate play? Was luck the deciding factor? Should we be surprised that any succeeded?


Subjects

History / Thirteen Colonies / Indigenous Americans / Colonialism / American History /