Final answer:
Spain wanted to colonize the Americas to seek wealth, impose Catholicism, and establish a social hierarchy. The pursuit of gold and silver was a major motive, leading to the exploitation of both the indigenous population and imported African slaves. Spain enforced economic policies that benefitted the mother country, thus creating a monopoly on trade with its colonies.
Step-by-step explanation:
One reason Spain wanted to colonize the Americas was to exploit the region's resources, particularly gold and silver, and to expand its empire. The Spanish government imposed strict economic policies to ensure that the colonies primarily benefited the mother country. Colonists were allowed to export only raw materials to Spain and were required to import finished goods from there, solidifying the Spanish monopoly on trade. Unfortunately, this exploitation extended to the indigenous population, who faced devastating losses due to European diseases and were often forced into labor.
The Spanish also aimed to spread Catholicism among the Native Americans and saw the Americas as a land where they could promote religious conversion. Additionally, when the indigenous population dwindled due to disease, the Spanish Crown began importing African slaves, recognizing the need for a labor force to sustain its colonial economy. The clergy's intervention to protect Native Americans from exploitation in mining operations influenced this shift as well.
Overall, the Spanish colonial agenda was driven by the pursuit of wealth, the imposition of its religion, and the creation of a hierarchical society that placed Spanish authority above that of native peoples and Africans.