During the Age of Exploration, the Spanish had three main goals:
* To spread Catholicism. Spain was a deeply religious country at the time, and it saw a mission to spread Catholicism to the New World. The Spanish believed that they had a duty to teach the indigenous people about Christianity and convert them to the faith.
* To find gold and silver. The Spanish were eager to find new sources of wealth, and they believed that the Americas held vast amounts of gold and silver. The Spanish had already encountered gold and silver in the Caribbean and Mexico, and they were determined to find more.
* To establish a global empire. Spain wanted to become a global superpower, and it saw the New World as a key to achieving this goal. The Spanish believed that they could build a vast empire in the Americas that would rival the empires of the Old World.
These three goals were not mutually exclusive, and in fact they often went hand in hand. For example, the Spanish believed that they could spread Catholicism by converting the indigenous people to the faith, and they believed that they could find gold and silver by exploring the New World. Ultimately, the Spanish were successful in achieving all three of their goals, and they built a vast empire in the Americas that lasted for centuries.