New World DBQ

The invasion of the "New World" by European explorers was a significant event which brought on many consequences. The Europeans, who has been isolated for around a thousand years, were eager to explore this new territory, and impose its beliefs upon the natives. The Exploration and colonization of the New World by Europeans impacted the native peoples in both a positive and negative way. The Spanish introduction of many new trades, as well as agricultural techniques helped the Natives grow society and provided a new source of income. However, the introduction of many foreign diseases, and the violent push to convert people to Christianity greatly outweighed the positive effects of the colonization of the new world.

The positives impacts

The negative impacts due to diseases can be seen in Documents 4 and 6. In Doc 4, a report of the Conquest of Mexico, the author states the devastating effects of newly brought diseases in the Aztec kingdom. Because the Aztecs had not built up an immunity to Europeans diseases, when the diseases were brought over, the results were devastating, with many Aztecs dying and unable to provide food. Due to this report being an Aztec account of the Conquest of their land, the details may be slightly biased, and the negatives slightly exaggerated, in spite of the European conquistadors. The impact of disease ca also be seen in Doc 6, a report on the spread of disease into the New World. In this report, the author claims that the Mexican population dropped from 30 million to 3 million due to the European colonization. It also states how this drop was mainly due to the spread of diseases like measles, smallpox, yellow fever, and many more. Because the native peoples had never been exposed to these diseases prior, the spread of them caused a devastating number of deaths. This report is written by a third-party author, causing it to have little bias. As well, the author does not exaggerate Europeans barbarianism, but rather disease, as the main cause of death during the colonization of the New

During the time, protestantism was on the rise all over the world, leading the Catholic invaders to push extra hard for converts, in an effort to recover from the reformation, and continue expanding Catholicism. Because the natives had not been exposed to any other form of Christianity, the invaders saw them as a great opportunity to gain coverts. The negative effects of this push for catholicism can be seen in Documents 5 and 9. Doc 5, a formal demand from the Spanish invaders, states that if the natives choose to convert to Catholicism, and recognize the Pope as their ruler, they will be left at peace by the invaders. However, if they do not convert, they will be killed and have all of their possessions destroyed. This formal demand demonstrates the ruthlessness and violence with which the Europeans were prepared to act in, should they not gain converts from the New World. The orders from this requirement negatively impacted the natives, as they would be killed for not choosing to completely change their beliefs and way of life. Because this requirement was written by the Spanish invaders themselves, it shows how ruthlessly they acted to enforce their religion. In Doc 9, an oral history of a Native chief, the author states how Chief Hatuey was sentenced to burn at a stake for planning an