The conquistadors were primarily motivated by a desire for wealth, power, and prestige. They were also driven by a religious zeal to spread Catholicism and to convert the indigenous peoples of the Americas. The conquistadors were often ruthless in their pursuit of these goals, and they committed many atrocities against the native peoples of the Americas.
Some of the most famous conquistadors include Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés, and Francisco Pizarro. Columbus was the first European to reach the Americas in 1492, and he laid the foundation for the Spanish Empire in the Americas. Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire in 1521, and Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire in 1533. These conquests gave Spain a vast empire that spanned from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean.
The conquistadors played a major role in shaping the history of the Americas. They introduced European diseases, plants, and animals to the Americas, and they also brought about the collapse of many native civilizations. The conquests of the conquistadors had a profound impact on the indigenous peoples of the Americas, and their legacy is still felt today.