Why did more indians choose to become catholics rather than protestants?

Answer 1

I don't think they were given a choice by the nuns and priests who were forcing them to convert.

Answer 2

The major colonial powers -- the Spanish, French, and English -- all had different approaches and attitudes toward proselytizing (converting) the Indians.

The Spanish, who came first -- mostly in the Caribbean and in Mexico, but later in Florida and then in Texas and California -- had a state religion (Catholicism) enforced by the gun and supported by priests. Spanish colonization was characterized by "gold, God, and glory". The early "conquistadores" made sure all the Indians (in Mexico and the Caribbean) became Catholic.

Later, especially in Texas and California, but also in Florida, they established missions. So that was less brutal than the earlier period, and more paternalistic, but of the Indians that did convert, it would always be to Catholicism.

The French sent a lot of missionaries and trapper/traders into the St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, and upper Mississippi regions. They established forts and trading posts, and mingled more easily with the Native Americans. The French missionaries used more "persuasion" than the Spanish, so Indian conversions were more voluntary than forced.

This empathy with the Indians also helps explain why Indians often sided with the French against the English in the later colonial wars.

Of the three colonial powers, only the English were predominantly Protestant. But their attitude was different. For the most part, the English colonists were mainly interested in establishing their own colonial settlements, and in keeping a "buffer" between themselves and the Indians. They were interested in obtaining more land, which they took from the Indians (thus pushing the Indians further back), but they were not particularly interested in converting the "noble savages" to Protestant Christianity.

This explains why more Indians became Catholics rather than Protestants.

Answer 3

That's easy. The Spanish and the French were both Catholic peoples and they both all the way across North America before the English speaking people were. They had more frontier infrastructure and more concern within their own societies directed towards "saving" their "red" brothers than Anglophone society ever did. Even when Anglophone institutions took over, they still very had a clear Catholic bent (ie: the Hudson's Bay Company, although nominally English was run almost entirely by Quebec voyageurs and/or their half-breed or Metis children) Also, you can't downplay the value of having Rome's backing either. It takes money to travel like that no matter how cheap you do it. Catholic priests never had to worry about that though. They just asked their order for help. Protestants had to raise money first.

Answer 4

I guess that there are several reasons :
the priests and monks were more distinct (you could easily recognize them by their clothes) from preachers that resembled more the hated colonists.
Not everyone was allowed to go to the "west" as a missionary, so the quality of the catholic preachers was better (not much but enough).
Maybe, but that's a guess, the Indians found more resemblance with God and the saints to their believe of different gods and spirits in stead of the very strict line of the protestants.
Is there an Indian under the audience who can help ?

Answer 5

This is something common in recent history. My mother is native and during her time she was "forced" by the catholic missionaries to convert. They were still viewed as heathens and were no longer allowed to practice their traditions, the nuns even entered the school system and the students were hit on the hands when they spoke in their native tongue. My mother just turned 59 this year so it was not that long ago that this happened, it was in the New Brunswick region of Canada that this took place. Today there are some that practice "traditional" religion, but there are many that still participate in the catholic church; there is one church on the reserve there and it is catholic.

Answer 6

Because of the some of the religious groups that came with the spaniards, they were in charge of the indians, they were the ones that segregated them into groups, so they finisehd converting them to catholisism. Also they substituted some of their idols with cristian figures, such as the virgin Mary, so they would convert. They really didn't had a choice, but the monks took care of them, so they ended up becoming catholics.

Answer 7

Many American Indians chose another faith to join--the Mormon Church. During the late 1800s, missionaries had traveled from Montana to Arizona and other outlying states, baptizing those wishing to join.

Among the 300 Cheyenne and Shoshone that were located at the Wind River Cheyenne Reservation and baptized, Chief Washakie of the Shoshone followed suit.

Answer 8

LMAO, choose??????? that is the key word in your question! American Indians were not ever given a choice! They were ripped from their homes and families, stripped of their language and way of life. They were forced to speak english, given english names, and taught a 'christian' religion. After all this they were still regarded as hostile and heathen!

Answer 9

THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE;ORIGINALLY THE FRENCH TRAPPERS LIVED AS THE INDIANS,DRESSED AS THE INDIANS DRESSED,MARRIED INTO THEIR TRIBES,BUILT CANOES AND ENCOURAGED THE INDIANS TO "SCALP" ALL OTHERS INTRUDING INTO THEIR FUR TRADING AREAS!!!THIS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY THIN THE PROTESTANT ENGLISH OUT IN THE WILD!!!THE ENGLISH FROM THE "FIRST BROUGHT THEIR WOMEN FROM ENGLAND WITH THEM AND VERY RARELY INTRMARRIED WITH THE INDIANS AT ALL..THEIR PURSUITS WERE DIFFERENT IN THAT THEY FARMED AND TILLED LAND WHICH WOULD TEND TO RUIN "HUNTING PROSPECTS" FOR THE NATIVES AND THE FRENCH WHOSE DIETS FOLLOWED THEIRS IN "THE HUNTING AND GATHERING" MODE OF FOOD ACQUISITION!!!THE SPANIARDS ENCOUNTERED TRIBES WHOSE MAIN DIET WAS BASED ON AGRICULTURE(WITH ONLY SOME FISHING AND HUNTING)AND THE CLIMATES AND FOOD ACQUISITION PROBLEMS WERE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THEIR NATIVE COUNTRY SPAIN ...HOT DESOLATE,ROCKY AND IRRIGATION WAS A BIG FACTOR..BECAUSE IT REQUIRED "SOCIETAL COOPERATION" IN CLOSEKNIT CIVIL GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONS!!!THE SPANISH TO SUCCEED AND NOT STARVE IN THE FIRST SEASONS "HAD TO" TAP INTO THE NATIVE GROUP AND INTER MARRY TO HAVE ANY VIABILITY IN TIME...ALTHOUGH THEY STILL TRIED TO KEEP A STRICT CODE OF "CREOLE,MULLATTO AND CASTILIAN CASTES TO DIFFERETIATE THEIR "CONQUISTADOR BLOODLINES" SO THAT THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED AS THE PREDOMINENT AND RULING FAMILY BLOODLINES!!SO TO THE EXTENT THAT EUROPEAN NATIONS TAPPED INTO NATIVE AGRICULTURAL CROPS AND TECHNIQUES AND SOCIALLY AND MARITALLY BONDED WITH THEM THEY EITHER WERE A SUCCESS OR A LONG-LIVED AND PROCREATIVELY VIABLE PIONEER GROUP!!

Answer 10

The Spainish were Catholic, they had guns and horses. Makes a lot of difference how you think.