The Taino lived in small villages ruled by chiefs. Christopher Columbus built a fort in Santo Domingo, which became the capital of Spanish rule in the Caribbean. Encomiendas, or land grants, were granted to Spanish settlers. These land grants gave them complete control over the local population. Additionally, the arrival of the Spanish caused a great decline in the Taino populations. Hernan Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire between 1519 and 1521 with 450 men. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Many people who resented the Mexica ended up helping Cortes. Francisco Pizarro was another Spanish conqueror who overthrew the Inca Empire (he was helped by internal problems and the smallpox epidemic). The administration of central Mexico and Peru was carried out by viceroys. The Portuguese king of Brazil gave power to the nobles, with a governor to oversee them. Brazil was made up of sugar cane plantations in the mid-16th century. In American colonial society, indigenous culture persisted in rural areas with European-style society in the cities. However, there was more exploitation of the New World than colonization. Many Iberian migrants settled in the Americas between 1500 and 1800. Many colonies were founded on the east coast, and many settlers explored the west coast. The French and English sought furs, fish, and trade routes in the early 17th century, but the colonies eventually suffered from isolation and food shortages. Colonial government was very different from that of the Iberian colonies as the North American colonies were controlled by private investors with virtually no royal support. Settlers often took land from native people and justified it with treaties. The Native American population dropped by 90 percent between 1500 and 1800. Mestizo societies began to develop in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies because of the social and racial hierarchy of children born to parents of different races. Cultural borrowing, including plants, crops, and deerskin clothing, also occurred. The conquistadors melted many gold objects to make ingots. Zacatecas in Mexico and Potosi in Peru were two major silver mining sites, a fifth of which went to the Spanish royal treasury. The abusive encomienda system was replaced by the repartimiento system, which was replaced by free workers in the 1600s. The Portuguese empire in Brazil was based entirely on sugar production (the sugar mill was called engenho). Many Africans were imported to Brazil to work on the sugar plantations. Fur traders in North America became very profitable as Native Americans trapped and traded with Europeans. The natives began to compete for resources, and cash crops such as tobacco and cotton soon began to be grown. This led to the start of contract labor in North America. Spanish missionaries introduced Catholicism to many indigenous peoples and established missionary schools and churches. French and English missionaries also established several missions but they were not as successful as the Spanish. Dutch sailors began exploring Australia in the 17th century, but there were no spices or farmland. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get an article now..