Question

What was a reason that the Spanish conquistadors would take missionaries (Jesuits) with them to the Americas?

a) To help the Spaniards hold religious services.

b) To perform weddings between Spanish soldiers and native women.

c) To convert the native peoples to Christianity.

d) To teach the Spanish soldiers about Christianity.

Answer 1

The Spanish conquistadors took missionaries to the Americas to convert the native peoples to Christianity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Spanish conquistadors took missionaries, such as the Jesuits, with them to the Americas primarily to convert the native peoples to Christianity. The Spanish believed that it was their right to impose their religion on the indigenous populations and saw it as part of their mission to bring Catholicism to the New World. The missionaries played a key role in spreading the teachings of Christianity and establishing churches and missions throughout the Americas.

Spanish conquistadors took Jesuit missionaries to the Americas to convert native peoples to Christianity, often employing forceful methods within systems like the encomienda that facilitated exploitation and cultural domination.

The reason that Spanish conquistadors would take missionaries, specifically Jesuits, with them to the Americas was primarily to convert the native peoples to Christianity. The Spanish contended that they would civilize and Christianize the native populations in exchange for their labor and obedience. Conquistadors were driven by the pursuit of riches while missionaries like the Jesuits sought to spread Catholic beliefs and practices among the indigenous peoples. This conversion process was often forced, reflecting the Spanish aims of both religious and cultural domination. Various colonial institutions, such as the encomienda system, exploited native labor under the guise of religious instruction and conversion, leading to significant resistance and perpetuating abuses against the native populations.