Answer:
Some Native Americans were forced to convert to Christianity; some were enslaved; some died of diseases acquired from Europeans.
Explanation:
The conquistadors were frankly merely mercenary pillagers operating on commission, like the English privateers supported by the Crown to prey on Spanish ships and settlements. The accompanying padres were a mixed bag, with some enabling the commanders but more trying to protect and convert the natives.
Note that the anti-Spanish Anglophiles were the founders of the USA, wrote the histories (in English, for the good guys, of course), created public schools in order to marginalize the Catholics (whose educational systems were far superior in their day) and perpetuated the official formal institutional anti-Catholic bigotry the Great Britain. It’s hard to find anyone not a real historian who will credit the good done by the Spanish clergy.
Reading any academic historical experts will show that a remarkable number of Spanish governors were tried and convicted of abuses against the Amerindians because of the fairly constant (but not universal) priestly objections against the depredations of the military mercenary conquerors. Vast amounts were spent by the Spanish Crown on the education and (supposed) welfare of the natives.
Long story short, it is not as black and white as revisionists would prefer: there were certainly abuses, but the authorities in Spain were a LOT more sensitive to Amerindian rights than Anglophiles would admit. Priests in the New World were extremely protective of native welfare, active in filing bold rebukes and pivotal in supplying testimony leading to actual imprisonments of ruthless governors.
In that, the Spanish were far better than were the British or French. Don’t recall reading of any of their colonial governors who was ever recalled for misconduct or punished for mistreatment of the natives.
Resource Used:
https://www.quora.com/How-did-the-Spanish-conquistadors-treat-the-Native-Americans
I hope this helps you in any shape or form.
