Final answer:
The three "G"s of the conquistadors were God, glory, and gold, representing their motives for exploration and conquest in the Americas. They sought to spread Christianity, achieve fame, and acquire wealth, which often led to the exploitation and mistreatment of indigenous populations via systems like encomienda.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three "G"s of the conquistadors are commonly referred to as God, glory, and gold. These motivations drove the Spanish conquistadors, such as Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, to explore and conquer lands in the Americas.
Under the pretext of spreading Christianity (God), they sought fame and recognition (glory), and were lured by the promise of wealth, especially from precious metals like gold and silver (gold). Instrumental in this exploitation was the encomienda system. This granted conquistadors the coerced labor of Indigenous people as a reward for their conquests, leading to the widespread abuse and mistreatment of native populations.
Additionally, the exploration and subsequent conquests were often rationalized by the desire of European monarchs to find an all-water route to the Indian Ocean, but the economic incentives were always a critical part of the endeavors. The discoveries made by these explorers had far-reaching effects, including the exchange of crops, animals, diseases, and the complex interaction between the Old World and the New. However, the motives and actions of the conquistadors left a legacy of colonization, establishment of haciendas, and exploitation that would shape the socio-economic landscape of the Americas for centuries.