Question bank: Spanish Colonization: Review

Briefly describe how the Catholic Church acted in the process of colonization of Spanish America, including its role in social organization and the conversion of native peoples. In a multidisciplinary context, identify an aspect of Spanish culture that was spread among indigenous peoples during colonization and discuss how this cultural diffusion affected local societies.

During the period of Spanish colonization in America, an economic and social system was implemented, aiming to exploit the local workforce and resources. Therefore, what system was established by the Spanish to control the indigenous workforce, which consisted of giving a settler a quantity of land and indigenous people to work in exchange for protection and evangelization?

Historian John H. Elliott, in his book 'Empires of the Atlantic World', makes a comparison between the colonial strategies of the Spanish and English in America. He states that while England encouraged the migration of whole families, aiming to create a stable and self-sufficient society, Spain, on the other hand, mainly sent single or married men who left their families in Spain. Based on this information and your knowledge of Spanish colonization, explain how this difference in colonial strategy impacted the socio-cultural and demographic formation of the Spanish colonies in America.