Bengtson 1

Emma Bengtson

Hewitt

CASH US History

1 September 2019

Unit 1 DBQ

When the Europeans arrived in present-day America, they were surprised to find many

groups of native people already living there. They took advantage of meeting these new groups

and decided to teach them about their culture. This left many marks on the native peoples’ ways

of life. They were forced to change religions, leave behind their traditions and customs, and

submit to the European rulers. Speaking in both immediate and long term effects, the native

peoples’ lives would never be the same after the Spanish invaded.

In many ways, the Spanish left huge impacts on the native peoples’ culture right away.

From the first day the Spanish arrived on their land, the Aztecs’ religion was rejected and declared

“horrible, and abominable, and deserving punishment” (document 1). The Spanish took matters

into their own hands and “removed the statues of the false gods, cleaned the temples, and taught

the people [the] religion [of the Spanish]” (document 1). They also pushed baptism and conversion

on the Indians, despite their vehement refusal. One Taino chief said, “If the Spaniards go to heaven,

then I certainly do not want to go there. Do not baptize me, I would prefer to go to hell!” (document

9). The Spanish even threatened them with war if they did not convert - they wrote the natives a

letter saying, “If you do not do this...we shall powerfully enter into your country, and shall make

war against you” (document 5). In other short term aspects, the colonizing Spanish took the Indians

as their slaves. “The Spanish landowners forced the Indians to farm the land or work in mines.
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Thousands of Indians died from overwork and harsh treatment” (document 8). They taxed the

natives, collecting “payments from Indians living in certain areas of land” (document 8). They also

formed a class system based on race, ranking the natives against each other, and placing themselves

at the highest rank (document 8).

On the other hand, the Spanish left many lasting effects as well. For example, they

introduced smallpox and many other diseases to Tenochtitlan, leaving many dead, blind, or hungry

right away, and since then, infecting many more. They also broke up their tribes, moving some

groups to “specially designed villages where they would be forced to give up their customs so they

could be taught Christianity and European customs and manners” (document 8). In a more positive

light, though, the Spanish brought over new plants, cattle, and agricultural techniques. That

obviously impacted the natives in a good way. They were able to grow different crops for eating

and trading, as well as speed up the growing process with oxen and plows. One conquistador wrote,

“Now they breed cattle of all sorts, and break in oxen, and plough the land, and sow wheat, and

thresh harvest, and sell it, and make bread, and they have planted their lands with all the trees and

fruits...which we have brought from Spain” (document 3).

Many changes took place in the native peoples' lives after the Spanish arrived and took

over their culture. The natives were forced to convert to Christianity, separate from their tribes,

and become slaves to the Spanish, but they were also taught new and more efficient techniques for

farming and cattle breeding. From the first day the Spanish stepped foot on the land, the lives of

the natives were forever changed, and they will never forget the impact the Spanish had on their

culture.