The Spanish Colonization of the New World

The key characteristics of the Pre-Colombian Native American societies are is that there is a land bridge connecting Siberia and Alaska. Then there are ice-free valleys grope to the east and south side of America. Also on the cultivation there is a very advanced agricultural practice. In favor of their gods, the natives cut out the hearts of living victims. Then to venture the groups of Asian hunters there were migratory hunters. The major motivations for the Spanish Conquistadores are gold and glory when they spread across the Caribbean and eventually made it to the American continents. Then there were some of the conquistadores that wanted to win a royal title and bring new people under the Spanish flag. Then others wanted to spread Christianity to pagans.

The impact of the Colombian Exchange on both the New and Old World was to initiate the discovery of an international commerce. Positive impacts are both the Old and New World was introduced or traded crops, treasure and animals. Negative impacts were the Old World gave the New World diseases such as smallpox, measles, typhus and the New World gave the Old World syphilis. During the exchange Africa the New World was given slave labor.

The political structure of New Spain is in the Treaty of Tordesillas where Spain secured its claim while dividing with Portugal of the New World which gave Portugal the territory of Africa, Asia and later, Brazil. The government used the encomienda system to allow them to Christianize the Indians. Hernan Cortez heard about the wealth in the Aztec kingdom which caused the hunger for gold exhausting the Spaniards’ visit. A cultural and biological bridge was formed between Latin America’s European and Indian races by the “new races” called mestizos.

In my opinion the Spanish Colonization of the New World is negative. I believe this because the Spanish goes by and looks for wealth but also goes by their religion, Christianity which causes a lot of violence. When the Spaniards’ were led Juan de Oñate, the Pueblo people were abused because of the founding of gold but also found the souls of people ready to be harvested for the Christian religion. In return, the Pueblo destroyed every Catholic church and killed hundreds of priests during the Pope’s Rebellion. The Black Legend was created by the Spanish to hide the fact the conquerors tortured the Indians, stole their gold, infected them with diseases. All of these events show how violent the Spanish are to get what they want like gold or to convert others to their religion.