What are the effects of the Spanish conquests of America?
health
Destruction of Religion and Culture
Short Term Effects
Long Term Effect
They had no immunity to European diseases. The Spanish came in and spread many contagious diseases; such as small pox, measles and influenza.
Many people died. there were major outbreaks of smallpox in the 1520's, measles from 1531 to 1532 and influenza from 1545 to 1576. It was estimated that the indigenous populations dropped by 75% between 1518 and the 1560s. some of the diseases effected people in the Caribbean and South America.
Short Term Effects
The Spanish took down their temples and built Catholic churches over them. They stopped all the tribes from doing their rituals and changed their beliefs.
Long Term Effects
They changed their language and changed them to Christianity. They were building different architecture and new cities over the land of the America.
Learning and Technology
Short Term Effects
The America were used to doing things by hand and the Spanish showed them the local people as their slaves for building things. there local arts and crafts and ways of doing things were destroyed.
Long Term Effects
Work became done by animals and the local people. Metal and steel replaced their other tools. Animals were imported to do a lot of the work.
Farming and Agriculture
Short Term Effects
Their farm land and crops were destroyed by the Spanish.
Long Term Effects
People had to starve and adjust to new food and had to change their diets to new meat and crops. They introduced lots of different new foods. They exported Aztecs foods like beans, corn, avocados and tomatoes, but imported sugar cane, mulberry trees for silkworms, vines, olive and wheat. They imported animals such as, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and mules.
click to edit
