The Conquistadors

1. Which word best describes how the conquistadors treated the people they conquered?

• Fairly

• Cruelly

• Generously

• Indifferently

What can you infer about the conquistadors from the fact that most of them came from humble backgrounds?

• They were not very loyal to the king of Spain

• They were not allowed to join the Catholic Church

• They were not well-educated

• They had no interest in gold and riches

Which of the following items did Europeans have, and Native Americans lack?

• Kings

• Religion

• Weapons

• Horses

Why would the conquistadors bring priests with them to the Americas?

• To help the Spaniards hold religious services

• To perform weddings between Spanish soldiers and native women

• To teach the Spanish soldiers about Christianity

• To convert the native peoples to Christianity

Why did the king of Spain want so much gold and land?

• He wanted to make the conquistadors rich and powerful

• He wanted to dominate other European empires

• He wanted to build expensive new palaces

• He wanted to impress female suitors

Encomiendas were most similar to:

• Slave plantations in the old American South

• Large factory farms in the American Midwest

• Collective farms in the old Soviet Union

• Rice paddies in Southeast Asia

Why do so many people in Latin America speak Spanish or Portuguese?

• They are subjects of the kings of Spain and Portugal

• They are descended from Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors

• They are immigrants from Spain and Portugal

• Their countries were once Spanish or Portuguese colonies

Why did smallpox kill so many of the natives in the Americas, but so few conquistadors?

• The conquistadors had been vaccinated against smallpox

• The natives had never been exposed to European diseases

• The natives had poor hygiene, while the Spanish were very clean

• The smallpox virus was designed to only infect native populations

If a Native American society refused to convert to Christianity, what would usually happen to them?

• They'd be destroyed

• They'd be allowed to worship their traditional gods

• They'd be forced to attend religious education classes

• They'd be allowed to convert to Judaism instead

What is one lasting result of the Spanish colonization of Latin America?

• Spain still controls most of Latin America

• The encomienda system is still thriving in many Latin American countries

• Most people in Latin America still belong to the Roman Catholic Church

• Slavery and murder are still legal in most Latin American countries