Spanish Colonization Essay

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Spanish Colonization of North America Spanish colonial efforts in the sixteenth century forever changed the culture of several societies in North America. Led by Spanish conquistadores, missionaries and the Monarchy of Spain, colonial efforts in North America were motivated by two main goals. First, Spain wanted wealth and knew that the New World would offer wealth through trade and the land’s rich resources. Second, Spain believed that the spread of Christianity to the Americas was their religious duty because the people of the Americas had not yet heard the word of god. While they certainly accomplished their goals, it is no secret that the Spanish colonial efforts in North America were tyrannical and caused lasting changes to several cultures that call the Americas home. These lasting changes can be attributed to the effect of European politics on colonization and the internal politics of the Aztec and Inca empires. Furthermore, the moral and ethical issues raised by Spain’s conquest can still be discussed today and related to our contemporary world. To begin, European politics effected Spanish colonial efforts in North America in a number of ways. When the colonial efforts began, Spain was rather poor compared to other European countries. The New World gave the Spanish an opportunity to not only extend their empire, but also extend their wealth and religious beliefs. According to Antoinette Lee, who wrote an article discussing Spanish colonization titled “Spanish Missions,” their colonial efforts were quite successful and backed by the belief in the spread of the Christian faith despite the brutality of the efforts. “News of the oppression of native populations spread,” he wrote, “leading to criticism of both the atrocities of the Spanish rule as well as the idea itself.” He continued, “However, the involvement of the religious orders deflected this
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