Indian reductions in the Andes
Okay, so imagine you are playing with some toys, and you have a big toy castle. Now, let's say that someone comes to visit you, and they really like your castle. They might ask you if they can take some of your toys home with them, and maybe even keep them forever!
Now, let's imagine that this person is not just someone who came to visit, but they are very important and powerful. Maybe they are a king or queen from a faraway land. They might say that they need your toys to help them build their own castle, or to give to their friends back home.
This is kind of like what happened a long time ago in South America, when the Spanish arrived in the Andes mountains. The people who already lived there, the Incas, had a lot of really cool things that the Spanish wanted. But instead of playing with toys, they wanted things like gold, silver, and food.
The Spanish didn't just ask nicely if they could take these things, though. They used their power and weapons to force the Incas to give them what they wanted. They also wanted the Incas to give up their own beliefs and religion, and become Christians like the Spanish.
One way the Spanish tried to do this was by creating something called "reductions." These were basically little settlements where the Incas could live under Spanish rule, and learn how to farm and raise animals like the Spanish did. The idea was that by living this way, they would become more like the Spanish, and less like their own people.
But the reductions were not always a good thing for the Incas. They were often forced to work long hours and give up their own traditions and language. They also had to become Catholic, which meant giving up their own gods and beliefs.
So, to sum up: the Spanish in the Andes mountains wanted things from the Incas, and they used their power to force the Incas to give them up. They also wanted the Incas to become more like them, so they created settlements called reductions where the Incas had to live like the Spanish and give up their own ways of life.
Now, let's imagine that this person is not just someone who came to visit, but they are very important and powerful. Maybe they are a king or queen from a faraway land. They might say that they need your toys to help them build their own castle, or to give to their friends back home.
This is kind of like what happened a long time ago in South America, when the Spanish arrived in the Andes mountains. The people who already lived there, the Incas, had a lot of really cool things that the Spanish wanted. But instead of playing with toys, they wanted things like gold, silver, and food.
The Spanish didn't just ask nicely if they could take these things, though. They used their power and weapons to force the Incas to give them what they wanted. They also wanted the Incas to give up their own beliefs and religion, and become Christians like the Spanish.
One way the Spanish tried to do this was by creating something called "reductions." These were basically little settlements where the Incas could live under Spanish rule, and learn how to farm and raise animals like the Spanish did. The idea was that by living this way, they would become more like the Spanish, and less like their own people.
But the reductions were not always a good thing for the Incas. They were often forced to work long hours and give up their own traditions and language. They also had to become Catholic, which meant giving up their own gods and beliefs.
So, to sum up: the Spanish in the Andes mountains wanted things from the Incas, and they used their power to force the Incas to give them up. They also wanted the Incas to become more like them, so they created settlements called reductions where the Incas had to live like the Spanish and give up their own ways of life.