Spanish colonization of the Americas

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/spanish-colonization-of-the-americas

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary motivations?Economic (gold, silver, trade routes), religious (evangelization), and geopolitical (imperial expansion)
2. What is the demographic impact?Catastrophic decline of indigenous populations due to disease, warfare, and forced labor
3. Why did Spain want to explore the Americas?Spain was looking for gold and silver and new trade routes to Asia. They hoped to find riches and help their country grow.
4. How did the Spanish defeat the Aztec and Inca empires?The Spanish had better weapons, horses, and clever tactics. They also made friends with some native groups who were unhappy with the empires.

Reconquista: The centuries-long period during which Christian kingdoms gradually retook territory from Muslim rulers in the Iberian Peninsula.
Encomienda System: A Spanish labor system that granted settlers control over indigenous populations and their labor in exchange for protection and Christian instruction.
Syncretism: The merging of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought, often resulting in new forms of expression.
Peninsulares: People born in Spain who held the highest positions in the Spanish colonies.