Practice Extended Response

The conquest of the Spanish to Americas had rapid impacts that followed. As the Spanish
thought themselves as superior, they did not hesitate to conquer the Aztec civilisation. With
their superior weaponry and armour, such as guns, horses, etc. the Spanish conquistadors
could easily massacre that bewildered and confused Aztecs. They also brought the European
religion, Christianity, to the Americas. They left the Aztecs with no freedom at all. They
forced them to follow their religion and punished or even killed those who fought back.
They were as many as or even more long-term impacts to the Spanish colonisation than there
were short term. For example, the speedy population decline. The population of the Aztec
Empire before the Spanish arrived was 5-25 million. After 1600, the population in all of
Mesoamerica dropped by 95% to 1 million. 90% of the population were killed by diseases.
Some diseases include measles, smallpox, influenza, and yellow fever. The Aztecs were an
easy target as they were not immune to these diseases.
Furthermore, with population decrease brought cultural change as well. Before a generation
passed, all temples were demolished. All idols were destroyed, and Christianity became the
main religion of the “Aztec” people. But some elements of the indigenous religion have
survived. The Spanish connected the two Americas so that they would be commercially,
economically, and philosophically connected forever. They also started an early form of
globalisation, trading between the Americas. This is how the Spanish conquest impacted the
Aztec civilisation.