What was the main result of the encomienda system?
A. The Aztec empire was defeated.
B. Christianity spread throughout North America.
C. Native people were forced to work for Spanish colonists.
D. All land in Mexico was taken over by the Spanish crown.
The main result of the encomienda system was that native people were forced to work for Spanish colonists. To arrive at this answer, you can eliminate options A, B, and D based on their inaccuracies. Then, you can determine that option C is the correct answer by understanding the nature of the encomienda system.
To briefly explain, the encomienda system was a labor system established by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas. In this system, Spanish colonists were granted rights to use native labor in exchange for protecting and converting the indigenous population to Christianity. The natives were essentially forced to work in mines, on plantations, or in various other industries, under challenging conditions. This practice led to exploitation, mistreatment, and the decline of indigenous populations. Therefore, option C, "Native people were forced to work for Spanish colonists," is the main result of the encomienda system.