The Spanish Empire did not Conquer Latin America.

     According to Webster's Dictionary, conquest is, "the act of dominating and subduing" (www.merriam webster.com). On the white board, the class further extended the definition to include, "forced religion". Based on these two definitions, one can conclude that the Spanish empire never conquered Latin America. While yes, many Indians died from disease and the fact that they could not stand up to Spanish weaponry and men on horse-back; their spirits religious unity, and language were never broken. So if they did not conquer Latin America, then what did they do? Restall states that, "...in the wake of destruction of Tenochtitlan the Spaniards had not conquered Mexico; they had simply dismembered the Mexican empire"(70). This statement can be extended to include the Incas and the Mayans. 

    There are many examples of how the Spanish attempted to Conquer Latin America and failed. First, a conquered nation has to bow down to the conqueror, almost in agreement. The Spanish read the Requeriemiento which warned the Indians tribes that they either, "submit and convert or they will have their wives and children taken and they themselves be killed". This may have been warning enough for the Indians to want to subdue, but they never received the warning because they did not speak the same language. The Indians never stopped fight against the Spanish. The letters to Spain which quoted rebellions and up-risings that were "under control" were just that; Indians fighting for survival and losing because the population was being killed off by disease.

     Second, the Spanish may have gained control over the semi-sedentary groups but there was so much unexplored terrain and tribes that lived in out-of reach places that they could not have possibly conquered all of Latin America. According to Restall, "they" the Indians "could avoid being subject to Spanish rule by temporarily fleeing or permanently migrating out of the area" (73). In "picking up camp" and leaving, the Indians were passively resisting the Spanish Empire and further strengthening the point that they were not going to be conquered.

     Lastly, the Spanish empire "ruled" Latin America under the pretence of hegemony. Things like converting to the Catholic faith and paying taxes were non-negotiable, but other than that the Indians maintained their language, cultural practices, and the Spanish crown frequently allowed the tribes to maintain their land. Due to this practice Latin America was never truly conquered. When one compares the history of the European conquest of present day "United States" to that of Latin America, the true meaning of conquest is revealed. The Europeans came with ideals such as "Manifest Destiny" and "Kill the Indian". They forcibly removed them from their lands, murdered them, and white-washed all that remained. The Indians of the United States were once a conquered people and it is only now that the are regaining their sovereignty. They lost many languages, lands and cultural practices, and many tribes are putting pieces together in order to trace their history. Latin American Indians were given a choice, stay Indian and pay taxes or join the mestizo culture. Although some joined the mestizo culture under the weight of taxes, many did not. 

     The Spaniards never conquered Latin America. One can see this in the mestizo culture, where many native customs are still practices. Many original tribes like the Mayans and the Pipil (once a conquered tribe of the Aztecs) are still in existence to spite all efforts to exterminate them. A successful conquering nation subdues and converts the subordinate population to all religious and cultural standards. This was not completed by the Spanish empire, they did not conquer Latin America.