The Conquistador Research Paper

From the fifteenth to the seventeenth century, conquistadors and European settlers went on an exploration across the Atlantic Ocean. With dreams of finding enormous riches, these explorers “discovered” many lands, which were already inhabited by the indigenous people. Through the use of their technology, weaponry, and cavalry these trained soldier were able to uses their power for colonization and imperial expansion, which ultimately left the natives economically, politically, and culturally broken.
Several countries, the Americas included, fell victim to the conquistador’s voyages, and Latin America and Caribbean countries were no exception. Typically sponsored by the noble family, explores were set on finding their prize, which was motivated

by religion, money, and glory. During this Age of Discovery, as many scholars today consider it, the homes of the indigenous people were invaded. Despite already being filled with rich and vivacious native civilizations, the settlers still made I their mission reform their societies. When Columbus initially landed in the Latin American/ Caribbean countries there was a population of approximately 45 million people, but that began to decline. These countries had a very diverse group of citizen, and many cultures that were distinct from one another. However his conquistadors unknowingly thought they charted the East Indies, resulting in them classifying all indigenous peoples as “Indians.” This grouping gave the Europeans a skewed perception, because they made the countries seem homologous, and made them blind to whatever division existed in these groups of people. But most importantly it was the start of the demise of the natives. As the settlers time progressed in the native’s land, the more exposed the locals were becoming to the disease they brought. Unlike Europeans, the indigenous peoples of Latin America had not been in contact with the people of the Ottoman Empire and Asia so they were exceptionally vulnerable to the diseases that the conquistadors brought over from the Old World. In addition to their poor hygiene, the natives were becoming sick