Which of the following best explains the widespread decline in Indigenous populations after the arrival of Spanish conquistadors?(1 point)

Question

Responses

fighting and lack of guns
fighting and lack of guns

disease and environmental changes
disease and environmental changes

natural disasters
natural disasters

inability to connect with global markets

Answer 1

The best explanation for the widespread decline in Indigenous populations after the arrival of Spanish conquistadors is disease and environmental changes. The introduction of European diseases, to which Indigenous populations had no immunity, was a significant factor in the dramatic decline in their numbers. While fighting also contributed, the impact of diseases like smallpox was far more devastating.