Question

focus skill: make inferences
answer the questions below to make inferences about m influenced it.

1. why did cortés take advantage of other native groups hatred of the aztecs?

1. why were spanish conquistadors not affected by smallpox?

1. how did the spanish conquest negatively affect south americans?

1. why did miguel hidalgo launch the struggle for independence?

Explanation:

(for question 17 as an example):
To answer why Cortés took advantage of other native groups’ hatred of the Aztecs, we recall historical context: Cortés aimed to conquer the Aztec Empire. The Aztecs had subjugated and exploited other native groups (e.g., Tlaxcalans), so those groups were willing to ally with Cortés to overthrow Aztec rule. This alliance provided Cortés with local military support, knowledge of Aztec weaknesses, and reduced his forces’ isolation, aiding his conquest.

Answer:

(for question 17):
Cortés took advantage of other native groups’ hatred of the Aztecs because those groups (e.g., Tlaxcalans) were subjugated/exploited by the Aztecs. Allying with them provided local military support, knowledge of Aztec vulnerabilities, and reduced his forces’ isolation, helping him conquer the Aztec Empire.

(For other questions, similar historical analysis applies:

• Q18: Spanish conquistadors were exposed to smallpox earlier in Europe, developing immunity (or had already survived it), while Native Americans had no prior exposure.
• Q19: Spanish conquest caused population decline (disease, warfare), cultural destruction (loss of traditions, forced conversion), economic exploitation (encomienda system, resource plunder), and social hierarchy oppression.
• Q20: Miguel Hidalgo launched the independence struggle due to grievances over Spanish colonial rule (economic exploitation, social inequality, Enlightenment ideas, and the 1808 Napoleonic invasion of Spain weakening colonial authority).)