Murtaugh1

Emily Murtaugh
Ms. Gordon
APWH
30 January 2013
CCOT 2010
In Latin America from 1450 to the present the religious beliefs have evolved and
developed into new beliefs and practices. From 1450 to the present two changes in Latin
American religious beliefs were that the Indian animistic religion ended and Christianity came to
power and that the Latin American form of Christianity developed after the reforms and split and
had differences from the Europe religion of Christianity. Two continuities were that they
continued believing in Christianity and they continued trying to convert people through missions.
One of the changes from 1450 to the present in Latin American religion was that they
stopped the Indian animism and developed into Christianity. This change occurred because of the
discovery of America by the Europeans and them bringing their culture with them. Things that
changes were the Aztec sacrifices and the worship of many gods. Many of the Indians were
forced into believing in Christianity because they were enslaved and many of the indigenous
couldnt carry on their religion because they died of new diseases that the Europeans brought
over. The new beliefs were brought by missionaries and soldiers from Spain and Portugal who
believed that Christianity and wanted to save the Indians souls by teaching them Christianity.
Although many of the priests that came over during this time wanted to help Indians in other
ways as well like becoming educated and being kind. The military made many of them slaves
and when they died brought African Americans over to be slaves in Latin America.
Another change during this time is that Christianity separates from European Christianity
during this time. After the reforms people formed different habits than those in Europe. One
example would be how in Latin Americans continued to stay Christian while in the world during
this time Europe was testing Christianity with other forms like Protestantism and Calvinism.
Before then the Latin Americans believed and followed what Europe followed but after the

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reforms they became new countries and no longer colonies like Mexico, Argentina, and Peru.
They had their own saints like lady of Guadalupe and construct their own monuments for their
religion instead of following the secular path that Europe took.
A continuity that Latin America had was they continued to have missions. Ever since
Europeans brought Christianity missionaries have come and set up missions to convert the
Indians. After the Indians died of diseases that the Europeans brought they tried to convert
African American slaves that were forcibly taken from their home country to go and work in the
plantations and mines. For Example, missionaries set missions up all along the Californian coast
to convert the Indians who lived their. They had missions because they believe they were
superior to the Indians and African Americans who were in Latin America and they wanted to
help them by educating them religion and giving them a place to stay.
Another continuity from 1450 to the present was the continuing religion Christianity.
Although Latin America has separated into different countries they still stay majoritarily
Christian. This is because of the amount of Christian missionaries that came and the isolation of
Latin America they wouldnt be able to convert many people because of the strong Christianity
in Latin America. A symbol of the Christian presence in Latin America is the amount of churches
and celebrations. In Peru they have a huge monument of Jesus with his arms outstretched. This
shows the amount of devotion that Latin America have to their religion and how strong it is in
their country.
From 1450 to the present in Latin America the changes within their religion include the
beginning of Christianity and the spectrum from Europe two continuities