Final answer:
The Spanish conquistadors realized that the true wealth in the Americas was not in gold and silver, but in the abundance of land and its resources. They encountered small communities ravaged by European diseases and faced resistance from native peoples.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Spanish conquistadors initially hoped to raid wealthy Indian tribes for riches, but they eventually realized that the true wealth in the Americas was not in gold and silver, but in the abundance of land and the resources it could produce. Instead of finding settled civilizations filled with treasure, they discovered small, disparate communities that were already ravaged by European diseases brought by the Spanish. The Spanish sought to control native labor and impose their religion, but many native peoples resisted these efforts.