The Taino lived in small villages ruled by chiefs. Christopher Columbus built a fort in Santo Domingo, which became the capital of the Spanish dominion in the Caribbean. Spanish colonists were given encomiendas, or land grants. These land grants gave them complete control over the local population. Furthermore, the arrival of the Spanish caused a sharp decline in the Taino populations. Hernan Cortes 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Many people who resented the Mexica ended up helping Cortes. Francisco Pizarro was another Spanish conquistador who overthrew the Inca empire (he was aided by internal problems and the smallpox epidemic). The administration of the centers in Mexico and Peru was done through viceroys. The Portuguese king of Brazil gave power to the nobles, with a governor who supervised them. Brazil consisted of sugar plantations by the mid-16th century. In colonial American society, indigenous culture persisted in rural areas, while a European-style society existed in the cities. However, there was more exploitation of the New World than settlement. 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 fur, fish, and trade routes in the early 17th century, but the settlements eventually suffered isolation and food shortages. The colonial government was very different from that of the Iberian colonies because the North American colonies were controlled by private investors with almost no real backing. Settlers often took Native lands and justified them with treaties. The Native American population declined by 90% from 1500 to 1800. Mestizo societies began to arise in Spanish and Portuguese settlements due to the social and racial hierarchy of children born to parents of different races. Cultural borrowings also took place, including plants, crops, and buckskin clothing. The conquistadors melted many gold artifacts into 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 apportionment system, later replaced by free workers in 1600. 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 captured and traded with Europeans. Natives began to compete for resources, and cash crops such as tobacco and cotton soon began to be grown. This led to the beginning of contract work in North America. Spanish missionaries introduced Catholicism to many native peoples and founded missionary schools and churches. French and English missionaries also founded several missions, but they were not as successful as the Spanish. Dutch sailors began exploring Australia in the seventeenth century, but there were no spices or farmland. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Australia didn't seem so interesting until Cook began exploring eastern Australia in the late 1700s. Spanish travelers visited the Pacific Islands and faced resistance from the Chamorro peoples but were killed by smallpox. Soon after, it was the whalers who voyaged.