One of the impacts of European colonization was the massive loss of life among Indigenous peoples due to violence and disease. There is evidence of this impact in Source A, where Bartolomé de las Casas talks about how the Christians murdered countless Indigenous people out of greed. He mentions how entire villages were wiped out, and people were treated like "brute animals." This shows how brutal colonizers were and how many Indigenous lives were lost during this time.
Source C shows another impact was the introduction of diseases like smallpox. The 16th-century Aztec drawing shows victims of smallpox, which was a deadly disease that came from Europe. It is said that in just one year, the population was reduced by 40 percent. This not only caused a lot of death but also meant that they lost important knowledge and traditions when the older generation died, making things even worse for future generations.
Another impact of colonization was the changing of Native American lifestyles due to trade with Europeans. Source D illustrates this in the portrait of Chief Ninigret, who wears a mix of European and Native goods. When Europeans started trading items like glass beads and metal utensils, Native people adapted these goods for their own use. However, the introduction of European guns also changed the dynamics between different tribes, creating an "arms race" and making conflicts even more dangerous.
Overall, the impact of European colonization on Indigenous peoples in North America was devastating. They faced violence, diseases that wiped out whole populations, and a seismic shift in their way of life due to European goods and weapons. These changes forever altered their communities and traditions, leaving a lasting impact that still resonates today.