The native population decimated: In 1519 the native population of South America was roughly 25 million. By 1605, this reduced to about 3 million. Violence and mistreatment were partly to blame but the main cause was disease. Europeans introduced epidemic diseases such as smallpox and influenza to the native Americans. American people had no resistance to these, unlike many Europeans. Almost 90% of the native population died as a result.
The destruction of cultures: The decline in the native population contributed to the loss of old and advanced civilisation. As Spanish and Portuguese became the languages of the ruling classes, native languages and customs were lost.
The spread of Christianity: Priests set up Catholic Church in the New World and carried out hundreds of thousands of conversions. Privately, many native people continued to worship old gods, though without the human sacrifice.
