How did the Spanish's build an empire in the Americas?
In the Colonial Period of European/American History, Spain built
up a vast empire in both South and North America mainly through
military might. Though intending to foster trade and to engage in
religious conversion of native populations (which in fact did
generally occur), Spain's imperial growth was primarily due to the
force of its arms, which overwhelmed native groups that resisted as
Spanish explorers, traders, priests, and settlers moved into the
Americas.