What were the effects of the Spanish conquest of Central and South America?

Answer 1

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Spanish conquest of South and Central America had a number of significant effects. In the Americas, old and distinctive civilizations were destroyed then gradually replaced by a Spanish-American hybrid of sorts. For Spain itself, the material wealth of its conquests turned out to be a curse, as Spain failed to modernize along with the rest of Europe and thereby became, by the 19th century, very nearly a third-world power.

Answer 2

• The direct or indirect slaughter of millions of Native Americans due to slavery, forced removal or contagion from several diseases they weren't immune to, such as smallpox. It is stated that from an original population of 20 million in 1518, by 1581 there were only 2 million people in Mexico.

• Adoption of culture and values from the Spanish invaders, such as language and religion.

• Exploitation of many Natural Resources, being the most important gold and silver mines in central and northern Mexico.

• Interracial mixing between Spaniards and their Tlaxcalan allies (who helped them conquer the Aztecs), thus creating the new mestizo bloodlines and which account for more than 60-80% of the Mexican population to this day.

Answer 3

Both regions had a rather-large native population known as Amerindians. This region also had three advanced civilizations, known as Aztecs, Maya and Inca.

After the conquest of the Americas was consummated by the Spanish, all three civilizations were completely wiped out and up to 95% of the original population died to European-brought diseases, being smallpox the most virulent and deadly. The Amerindian populations that remained became servants or outright slaves to the conquerors.

Answer 4

Spain once had a huge and wealthy set of colonies in the Western Hemisphere. They were pioneers in exploring vast areas in both North and South America. Their empire slowly ebbed away, however, their impact remains to this day. Most of every nation from Mexico and southward speak Spanish and are Roman Catholic nations.

Answer 5

Here are a few: disease, money/gold, and slavery.

Answer 6

Above all it completely changed their religion, cultures, and language.