6.6.1 Impact on the Aztecs The Spanish conquest of the Americas had many long-lasting effects. Initially, these effects were mostly felt in the Americas, but as the Columbian Exchange developed, they spread and helped shape the modern world. Diseases brought by Europeans, along with slavery and hunger, were among the most significant impacts for the Aztec people. By the early 1600s, it is estimated that Mexico’s native population had decreased by 90 per cent. SOURCE2 discusses more reasons for the population decline in Mexico.
SOURCE2 From The Population of the California Indians , 1769–1970, written by Sherburne Cook
The first [factor] was the food supply ... the second factor was disease ... A third factor, which strongly intensified the effect of the other two, was the social and physical disruption visited upon the Indian. He was driven from his home by the thousands, starved, beaten, raped, and murdered ... The utter devastation caused by the white man was literally incredible, and not until the population figures are examined does the extent of the havoc become evident.
The Spanish conquest led to a significant loss of culture among native peoples, risking the disappearance of traditional art, music and languages. The Aztec codex changed from pictorial to include Spanish and Latin text. As New Spain expanded, native workers under the encomienda system began mixing, blurring their unique cultures. The Spanish also aimed to convert natives to Christianity, leading to blended religious practices that still exist today, with a strong Roman Catholic presence in the Americas. 6.6.2 Slavery The Spanish introduced a new form of slavery to the New World, differing from Aztec slavery. While Aztec slaves could own property and buy their freedom, their status was not hereditary ; a child of a slave was not automatically a slave. The encomienda system aimed to convert and protect indigenous workers. However, those who resisted Christianity could be forced into labour, allowing conquistadors to label them as slaves. Did you know? An Aztec slave could gain freedom by escaping from the watch of their master while at the tianquiztli (marketplace). If they reached the palace without being caught, they became free. Only the master or one of their master’s relatives could chase the slave. If anyone else tried to help, they risked being sold into slavery themselves. Look back at SOURCE1 in lesson 6.3 and see if you can find the slave trying to escape from his master. During, and after, the conquest of the Aztec Empire, many native people died from diseases that were introduced by the Europeans. The native population did not have immunity to those diseases and many hundreds of thousands died. To replace lost workers, the Spanish began importing African slaves, who had developed immunity to otherwise deadly diseases due to already having many years of contact with Europeans. Over nearly 400 years, about 12 million Africans were transported to the New World.
TOPIC6 The Spanish and the Americas 141
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