Spanish Colonization New Mexico

Name:

Date:

Spanish conquistador and Pueblo settlement illustration

📚 Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. What were the main reasons Spain wanted to explore and colonize New Mexico?

To find gold and spread Christianity

To establish trade with Asia

To escape religious persecution

To find a route to the Pacific Ocean

2. What was the encomienda system?

A Spanish military formation

A system where Spanish colonists controlled Indigenous labor

A type of Spanish mission church

A trading agreement between Spain and France

3. Which of the following were impacts of Spanish colonization on Indigenous peoples? (Check all that apply)

Loss of traditional lands

Introduction of new diseases

Forced conversion to Christianity

Improved farming techniques

Changes to traditional ways of life

4. What was the Pueblo Revolt of 1680?

A celebration of Spanish and Pueblo cooperation

An uprising by Pueblo peoples against Spanish rule

A Spanish attack on Pueblo villages

A peace treaty between Spain and the Pueblos

✏️ Part 2: Short Answers & Analysis

5. Fill in the blanks with vocabulary words:

Spanish soldiers and explorers were called ________________. They established ________________ to convert Indigenous peoples to Christianity.

6. Explain one way Spanish colonization benefited the colonists and one way it harmed Indigenous peoples:

7. Why is it important to study multiple perspectives when learning about Spanish colonization? Give one example of how Spanish and Indigenous viewpoints might differ:

8. Imagine you are a Pueblo person living during Spanish colonization. Write 2-3 sentences describing how your daily life has changed:

🎯 Part 3: Critical Thinking

9. Compare and contrast: List two things Spanish colonists and Pueblo peoples might have had in common, and two ways they were different:

Similarities:

1. _________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________

Differences:

1. _________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________

10. If you could ask one question to a Spanish explorer and one question to a Pueblo leader from this time period, what would they be?

Question for Spanish explorer:

Question for Pueblo leader:

Spanish Colonization New Mexico

Spanish Colonization New Mexico

📚 Part 1: Multiple Choice

✏️ Part 2: Short Answers & Analysis

🎯 Part 3: Critical Thinking

About This Worksheet

Free in Kuraplan

Print-Ready

AI-Generated

For Teachers & Parents

Need a custom version of this worksheet?

More Social Studies Worksheets

Year 9 Social Studies Worksheet

Social Studies Introduction Lesson

Explore more free resources