How did missionaries change the lives of American Indians in new Spain?

Answer 1

The native Americans were forced to work on mission farms and ranches. When the Spanish arrived in the New World, they brought with them a set of customs and traditions from their old Spain. One of the systems that were commonly practiced in Western Europe was forced labour. [ In Spain, this was known as the Encomienda system. An encomienda was a means of providing a Spaniard a portion of land and restricted property rights over a certain number of Indians. The Encomienda system quickly became entrenched in South and Central America. Although it was implemented with the intention to care for and provide for the Native Americans, it became the most abusive and destructive system in colonial New Spain. The Need to Indoctrinate and Instruct Natives in the Catholic Faith The Spanish used religion to justify their domination over the Native Americans. The conquistadors maintained it was God's will that they indoctrinate the Native Americans in the Catholic faith. Under the law of Burgos, any encomendero with more than fifty Natives had to educate one boy in writing and religious doctrine so that he could in turn, teach his people these things. "Some of the Native communities were even divided into territorial doctrinas or parishes with its own priest and church building where Indians would be instructed about the Christian faith," says Michael Busbin. However, this method "quickly became an opportunity for the encomenderos to exploit and utilize the Indians for their own ends," says Meredith Scott. The Belief the Native Americans Were Incompetent The need to Christianize the Natives was not the only reason for the Spanish to establish the encomienda system. The common belief that the Native Americans were savage and incompetent people unable to live a Christian life and conduct money and trade, fueled the Spaniards' desire to establish the encomienda system. Consequently, the Spaniards believed the Natives needed to be clothed, educated and taught about God. ]

Answer 2

This is hard to answer until you understand the political law involved. In 1532 F. Victoria outlined, in law, that the Catholic Church could not claim the lands held by the Natives because they were not members of the church; IE: Divine Provenance could not apply. The church then issued decrees that they were to be converted so that the church could then claim their lands.

The church then began a similar campaign used in other nations and attempted to show the Natives that they were worshiping the church's god by some other name. Once they were converted the church then took the lands and enslaved the people. Many of the natives rejected the religion once they learned the truth (see Blackhawk an autobiography).

Answer 3

Native Americans were told a part of their way of living was wrong. This way of living was something handed down for generations.

Think about how you would feel if some stranger, speaking a strange language, were to tell you the rules and guide lines that you used to help 'run' your life were wrong and you would suffer for these wrongs long after you passed from the land of the living.

Answer 4

The Native Americans got a disease from the missionaries and they all got sick and died! The end!

Answer 5

by the things they brought