Question

PLEASE HURRY AND HELP

The early sixteenth century, Spanish conquistadors took control of much of the Americas. The consequences were enormous. Discuss the Spanish conquest in a well-organized essay that addresses three of these topics: Explain two reasons for Spain’s desire to establish an empire in the Americas. Describe the two Native American empires that fell to the Spanish. Include their locations, ways of living, leaders, accomplishments, and weaknesses. Identify the conquistadors who led the Spanish forces and explain how and why they were able to conquer the American empires. Describe the structure of the new Spanish colonies, the effects of colonization on the native populations, and the response of Spanish conquistadores.
15 POINTS TO CORRECT ANSWER.

Answer 1

The Spanish conquistadors desired wealth and the spread of Christianity in the Americas. The Aztec and Inca empires fell to the Spanish due to internal weaknesses and the use of military strategies by conquistadors like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro. The colonization resulted in the establishment of new Spanish colonies, the mistreatment of indigenous populations, and efforts to protect their rights.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Spanish conquistadors in the early sixteenth century took control of significant parts of the Americas, resulting in enormous consequences.

Reasons for Spain's Desire to Establish an Empire:

Wealth: The Spanish sought wealth and resources, particularly gold and silver. This desire for riches was motivated by Columbus's accounts of the riches in the New World and the economic benefits it could bring.

Spread of Christianity: Spain desired to spread Christianity and convert the indigenous populations to Catholicism, believing it was their duty to save souls and spread their culture and religion.

Fallen Native American Empires:

Two well-known Native American empires that fell to the Spanish were the Aztec Empire and the Inca Empire.

Aztec Empire: Located in present-day Mexico, the Aztecs were led by Emperor Moctezuma II. The empire had a highly advanced society and achievements such as monumental architecture and an extensive road system. However, their weaknesses included internal rivalries and a lack of resistance against diseases brought by the Europeans.

Inca Empire: Located in present-day Peru, the Inca Empire was led by Emperor Atahualpa. The empire had a sophisticated infrastructure, including impressive stone structures like Machu Picchu. However, their weaknesses included their unfamiliarity with European military tactics and their territorial expansion, which led to discontent among conquered peoples.

Conquistadors and Effects of Colonization:

Hernán Cortés: Cortés led the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. His military strategies, alliances with indigenous groups, and the spread of diseases helped him achieve victory.

Francisco Pizarro: Pizarro led the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. He exploited political divisions among the Incas and used superior weaponry and tactics.

The Spanish colonization led to the establishment of new colonies with a hierarchical structure. Indigenous populations suffered from forced labor, abuse, and diseases brought by the Europeans. Some Spanish conquistadors also expressed concern for the mistreatment of indigenous peoples, leading to efforts to protect their rights.

Answer 2

The sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries changed the world in dramatic ways. But probably, the biggest change the world saw or has ever seen, was the finding and conquest of the Americas. Many are the theories as to what led both the Spanish and Portuguese empires to seek these voyages, but the truth of the matter is that the main reasons that pushed Spain to support Cristopher Columbus in his trip in 1492 were, first, the desire to discover and open new trade routes to the Indies. And the second reason was evangelization, which the two Spanish moarchs believed would be empowered by colonization.

When the Spanish first arrived in the Americas, their first encounter was not with any big Native tribes or settled civilizations. It was not until later on, in 1519, that the Spanish encountered true Native American civilization. And the first to find this was Hernán Cortés, who between 1519 and 1521, led a war against the Aztec Empire, one of the biggest and most important of the entire continent. The Aztecs were settled in the Gulf of Mexico, in what is today Mexico itself. The Aztecs, led by Moctezuma II were really advanced people, with a federal-like way of government, cities, technology and an organized society. But like all well-organized and advanced societies, problems arose. The first was that through contact with the Spanish, many diseases unknown until then diminished the number of Natives and also because of weaponry, which allowed the Spanish to finally overcome the Aztec forces.

The second empire was the Inca Empire, in what is today Peru, specifically in Cusco. Unlike its sister empire in Mexico, the Incas did not have wheeled vehicles and they did not use farm animals. They did not have a currency and they survived on exchange of goods, instead of a market. What made them really advanced was their ability in masonry and the use of stone. Their architecture was really advanced and like the Aztecs, their cities were impressive. They also had a centralized system of government led by a king, who at the time of the arrival of the Conquistadors was Atahualpa and the king was considered the owner of everything within the empire. They also had a very advanced system of roads that connected the central city of Machu Picchu with the rest of the Empire. It was Francisco Pizarro who in 1526 moved from Panama to the Andean region and found himself at Machu Picchu. After several trips, finally, between 1532 and 1533, Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish were able to take control of the vast Inca Empire.

In the end, most of the Americas, save what is nowadays Brazil, that ended in the hands of Portugal, became part of the enormous Spanish Empire. The result was a group of colonies from which the Spanish derived the precious metal of gold and which made them really rich. The Natives, at first were enslaved by the Spanish until through intervention of the Church, black people were brought in to prevent the death of the Natives. Disease also decimated the Native population in the Americas. There was a lot of racial mixing betwen the Spanish and Natives, which gave origin to many new skin colors, typical of Spanish America.