How Did The Spanish Conquests Affect Central America

The lasting negative impact of the Spanish Conquests in Central America The dictionary defines genocide as the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group. Genocide is a strong word and a word not used lightly, it is a word that can only describe some events. It is also something that defines the Spanish Conquest exactly. These conquests started in 1492, when Christopher Columbus made landfall in Central America with the new discovery of transatlantic technology. His initial goal was to land in China to find alternate trading routes to bypass the silk road, however he ended up in an entirely new place. Though he didn’t find his valuable trade route, he found something else, and this something
No matter where they went or how far they went, the presence of foreigners was there. From Cristopher Colombus who caused “In two years, through murder, mutilation, or suicide, half of the 250,000 Indians in Haiti died”. To Hernan Cortes who “After their retreat, the decimated allies regrouped in Tlaxcala and started a massive campaign against Tenochtitlan which resulted in the fall of the city in August 1521”. These quotes clearly show the genocide committed, but it also shows why this genocide was committed, and that being the want to colonize. These foreigners wanted to control land and prove a point and when met with resistance the foreigners took it as a lesson to teach the natives. Another aspect of this was what they indirectly did to the people, which also aided in the colonization of them. Most importantly, through the spread of disease. According to a primary source “The smallpox epidemic of 1517-1521 was not the only epidemic to strike Mexico and Central America during the sixteenth
And is what we know at this time really original Latin history? This essay clearly shows the Spaniards reputation. It also shows Central America, which at the time was so drastically changed by the Spaniards. This change came through the killing of 250,000 people in search of gold. The labor conditions were so harsh it makes your own people question what effect you are having on history. The successful removal of a temple so sacred to the people that its only remnants were found over 300 years later. Or the complete removal of a city because of its riches and fierce resistance. This clearly proves the negative impact of the Spaniards through the exploitation, colonization, and removal of history in Central America. But it also makes you question the moral justification of the Spaniards. This moral justification is because of the time period and influence they had from their motherland to the rampage of Central America. That being said, it brings up another similar idea/question and that being, if the Spaniards never landed in the new world would the natives still have been colonized by another people or was this only possible by the