Final answer:
The meeting between Spanish and Native American cultures resulted in a drastic population decline due to disease, imposition of the Roman Catholic religion and labor exploitation, and the emergence of mestizos. While many indigenous societies resisted or blended religious practices, some adopted European technologies for survival.
Step-by-step explanation:
Consequences of the Meeting Between Spanish and Native American Cultures
When the Spanish and Native American cultures met, it led to significant and often devastating consequences for the indigenous peoples of Middle America. Among these was the introduction of diseases such as smallpox, measles, mumps, and influenza, to which the Native Americans had no immunity. This resulted in a drastic reduction in the Native American population, estimated to decrease from around 15-25 million to just 2.5 million within a century of European contact.
The Spanish also sought to impose their own systems and beliefs on the native populations. They introduced the Encomienda system as a form of social and economic control, where Native Americans were forced to labor for the benefit of Spanish encomenderos. Religion played a key role in this cultural clash; the Spanish enforced the Roman Catholic faith upon the indigenous people, often under a "repent or perish" approach. Despite this, many Native American societies retained elements of their own beliefs or blended them with Catholic practices to form hybrid belief systems.
There were also significant social changes. The creation of a new ethnic group known as mestizos, individuals of mixed Spanish and Native American descent, began with early relationships between Spanish men and Native American women. Additionally, not all indigenous groups met the Spanish with resistance; some adopted European tools and weapons, allowing them to survive and even thrive despite colonization pressures, as seen with groups like the Comanche.