What helped the Conquistadors the most in conquering the Meso-Americans
Several factors helped the Conquistadors in their conquest of the Meso-Americans:
1. Technological Superiority: The Conquistadors had advanced weapons and armor such as muskets, cannons, and steel swords, which gave them a significant advantage over the Meso-American civilizations, who primarily used wooden clubs, stone weapons, and obsidian blades.
2. Horses: The Spanish conquistadors had horses, which provided them with increased mobility and the ability to conduct quick and surprise attacks on their enemies. The Meso-Americans had never seen horses before and were terrified by these large, powerful animals.
3. Division and Disunity: The Meso-American civilizations were not unified and often engaged in internal conflicts and power struggles. The Conquistadors were able to exploit these divisions by forming alliances with certain groups and using them to help overthrow the ruling powers.
4. Disease: The Conquistadors unintentionally brought diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza to the Meso-American populations, who had no immunity to these illnesses. This resulted in devastating epidemics that decimated the native populations and weakened their ability to resist the Spanish conquest.
5. Religious Beliefs: The Conquistadors believed they had a divine mandate to convert the indigenous peoples to Christianity and saw themselves as agents of God's will. They used this ideology to justify their conquest and destruction of the Meso-American civilizations.
Overall, a combination of technological superiority, military tactics, alliances with local groups, the spread of disease, and religious beliefs all played a crucial role in the success of the Conquistadors in conquering the Meso-American civilizations.