exploration of America
... for the Conquistadors, who defended it from being taken over or perhaps destroyed by Indian Tribes or other European countries. The missionaries set a very important and necessary P.3 foundation for America by spreading Catholicism, which was the very basis of multiple governments in the early colonies, as well as are government today. The Conquistadors were extremely brave and imaginative men who are quite worthy of their fame, but we can not forget that these Spanish military men wrenched their empire from innocent hands. The settlement of the New World, which historian Francis Jennings has called “the invasion of America” , is a prime example of unnecessary, and unprovoked aggression in the human history (The American Nation p.9), and this aggression was executed by the Conquistadors. Conquistadors could be described as greedy and brutal men. They established numerous settlements, and because of these military explorers, the Americas did not remain unknown, they are responsible for the oldest histories we have in America (pbs.com), and formed multiple colonies in the New World. But more harm came from their actions than good. They were known to massacre entire villages, rape the women, and take children as personal slaves. Their actions were best translated into words by the priest Bartolome de las casas who said “like the most cruel Tygres, Wolves, and Lions, enraged with a sharp and tedious hunger.” (The American Nation p.10) The Conquistadors would take all the Natives had, and yet they asked for more, and if they were not presented with more gold or precious items repercussions would be horrid. Before Conquistador Herman Cortes conquered the Aztec tribe , their population was over 20,000,000. And one hundred years after this tribe had been conquered, the population reduced to 2,000,000. But P.4 in defense of the Conquistadors their belief was that their actions were justified because they were killing these savage Natives in the name of God, the majority were strong Christians (Espanola p.2). But if the Natives didn’t die from the brutality of the Conquistadors, they would die from disease. Missionaries are to be blamed as well for Native Americans drastic population decrease. Although the ministers and priest intentions were good, disease caused the majority of deaths of the Native people. Small Pox, as well as numerous other diseases flourished through the land, and the Natives were completely defenseless. The missionaries were unintentionally spreading diseases through their missions, killing off entire Tribes. More than half of the Natives that perished, died because of these unfamiliar diseases that the Spanish brought over. (pbs.com) Missionaries communicated with the Natives in a different way from the Conquistadors. Instead of using abusive military tactics, they went for a more calm and subtle approach. Buy playing songs on an instrument or singing , missionaries could communicate with the Na...