Spanish conquerors took over the Aztecs and Incas, and made establishments in Mexico and Peru. The Europeans brought a range of technology to the western hemisphere as well. The very first interaction was the Carribeans. The Tainos, also know as the Arawaks, cultivated crops and lived in small villages ruled by the authority of chiefs. The Arawaks were interested in Spanish goods. Christopher Columbus established Hispaniola which increased communications, interactions, and trade. In the Caribbean, many of the locals were forced to mine, fish, and run small farms if the season were willing. Because of diseases that the spanish brought like Smallpox, the Spanish started to kidnap and enslave Tainos for physical labor. The Caribbean's went from six million to a few thousand from 1492 to  the 1540s. Hernán Cortés brought his men down into the Aztec empire in Mexico. They spread diseases which killed well more than half of the aztec population. Many survivors became forced laborers and were forced to convert religions.

Interactions Between Spanish and the Aztecs, Incas, and the Caribbean

Hernán Cortes