Textbook: Mba Mbulu's Introduction to White History: The History of White America. Click here for purchase information.

Click Here and read the extract from Mba Mbulu's Introduction to White History: The History of White Americafor this class. Also read pages 45 through 47 of the textbook, Mba Mbulu's An Introduction to White History. Think about what you read and be able to respond to the following questions.

(1) What governments were interested in the settling of "the new land," and what did they hope to gain from it?
(2) What businessmen were interested in the settling of "the new land," and what did they hope to gain from it?
(3) What churches were interested in the settling of "the new land," and what did they hope to gain from it?
(4) What did the interests of governments, businessmen and churches have in common?
(5) How did the interests of governments, businessmen and churches conflict with one another?
(6) How did the common and conflicting interests of governments, businessmen and churches impact on the development of "the new land"?
(7) Was there a government, businessman or church that was interested in developing "the new land" into a model of human justice and democracy? If so, was this interest stronger than its economic interest?

Cristobal Colon's "discovery" of a new land stirred the energies of European governments (kings and queens), individuals and churches. European governments were interested in how they could profit financially from the discovery, and in how they could use the discovery to increase their military might and decrease that of their ever menacing and belligerent neighbors. The three major European powers of the time, England, France and Spain, proved to be the most capable of the lot. In Spain and France, the crowns (government) generally took direct control of the exploratory initiatives, with assistance from individuals of means and affluence who imagined that there were some bucks to be made. In England, a somewhat different approach was taken. For the most part, the English crown did not directly participate in exploratory ventures, opting instead to encourage English merchants and entrepreneurs to spearhead those initiatives. In all cases, the attempts at settlement in the new land were, first and foremost, economic ventures.

It is important that the reader understand what was just said. Each English settlement or colony, at its core, was a business establishment. In essence, the colonies that were to become the United States of America started off as little businesses; as individual proprietorships, partnerships and corporations. Businesses do not hinge on democratic principles, nor are they concerned about creating environments that promote equality and justice. By understanding this, students of United States history can see how they have been deliberately or haphazardly misled by traditional historians of United States history. Traditional historians speak of the American colonies as if they were political units that carried out all of the economic functions that political units must carry out in order to survive. In fact, the American colonies were business units that carried out all of the non-business functions (including the legal and political ones) a business must carry out in order to survive.

Also, understand the implications of the English crown encouraging businesses to take the lead in the exploration and settlement of colonies in the new land. The English, the ones who prevailed in the areas of the new land that became known as the United States of America, firmly believed in the philosophy of "let business pave the way," and passed that philosophy on to the whites who settled this land. The whites who settled this land, in turn, passed that philosophy down to succeeding generations of "Americans." On the whole, "Americans" have proved themselves incapable of objectively analyzing that philosophy to determine if it is indeed best for business to lead the way when a social structure is supposed to be "of the people, by the people and for the people."

Business was also at the core of the church's interest in the new world and its native inhabitants. Better than any other institution, the church was able to (1) take advantage of an individual's ignorance of the unknown and (2) camouflage its primary objective of accumulating wealth. The collection of tithes, taxes and titles to land generated huge sums of income for the church, and plenty of each could be obtained from the natives and settlers of the new land. Additionally, the church's ideology was more consistent, comprehensive and long standing than any of the business and political ideologies of the time, which tended to give the church a greater aura of legitimacy than the others. In the new land, the church saw the opportunity to not only maintain but elevate its wealth and influence, and if push came to shove, it was willing to butt heads with businesses and governments to do so. However, since the church did not have an independent army that could force its will in the case of a dramatic confrontation, it preferred to work hand in hand with the government. This it did quite effectively in the Americas.

In summary, one must remember that, like all businesses, the American colonies were established to generate revenue and provide sources of income for those parties that invested in them. The American colonies were not established to promote human justice and champion the rights of everyday people. The American colonies were established to make money. This is critical to understanding the energy that motivated many colonial patriots during the American Revolutionary War period, why that energy clashed with that of the individuals who became known as America's founding fathers, and why white America's founding fathers were able to prevail.