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Spanish Colonial Pros And Cons

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The Spanish colonization of the Americas was a complex and lengthy process that involved a wide range of strategies and institutions. One of the pivotal rudiments of this process was the establishment of presidios, which were military strongholds used by garrisons of varying sizes to cover and protect Spanish homes and populations from external risks. The presidios were constantly located in remote regions. The garrisons that occupied these strongholds consisted of legionnaires known as dragones de cuera, brave soldiers trained for frontier warfare. Meanwhile, the Spanish carried out different missions to convert the indigenous populations to Christianity, for which they reckoned on religious institutions. Ultimately, the Spanish erected a …show more content…

They were erected, as it was mentioned before, as a means of guarding their homes and populations from external risks, particularly from other European powers and from indigenous groups who defied the Spanish colonization; for this reason, they were generally located in remote regions, strategically placed throughout the Spanish colonies in the Americas in a way that they were spread out near the coast or along the borders of the colonies, taking into account the natural resources surrounding each terrain. The presidios were usually constructed of adobe and were designed to repel attacks, being girdled by walls and equipped with artillery, such as cannons and other munitions, used to discourage or repel attackers. They played a pivotal role in the colonization, not only because of their protective nature, but also because they were a reminder of the Spanish power in the outlands, and they helped maintained a presence in regions that might have been difficult to …show more content…

These rudiments of Spanish colonialism had a continuing impact on the history and culture of the regions they touched and continue to shape the present-day realities of the Americas. The Spanish colonization of the American continent was a complex and multifaceted process that involved a wide range of strategies and institutions. The presidios and the dragones de cuera were designed to cover and protect the Spanish colonies from external pitfalls and were begrudged by the indigenous populations who saw them as a symbol of Spanish oppression and domination. The Franciscans were assigned with converting the indigenous populations to Christianity and incorporating them into the Spanish colonizer system but were also associated with the destruction of indigenous societies and the exploitation of indigenous labour. The Caminos Reales were associated with contestation and conflict, having been erected through forced

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