🌍Spain claimed and colonized vast territories in the Americas, collectively known as New Spain, after the discovery of the Americas in 1492.
⚔️Conquistadors sailed to the Americas to conquer and exploit the land for its resources, often resorting to force, enslavement, and violence against indigenous peoples.
🛐The Catholic Church played a significant role in the colonization process, working alongside the Spanish crown in converting indigenous peoples to Christianity.
💼The encomienda system allowed Spanish colonizers to demand forced labor and tribute from indigenous peoples in exchange for protection and conversion.
⛓️Enslaved Africans were imported to New Spain to work as plantation laborers, contributing to the exploitation and economic development of the colonies.