Spanish vs. Portugal Colonies

The economic and political changes from the indigenous people, to the early conquests, to the later more established colonies were different for the Spanish and Portuguese colonies because of the potential profits and the geographical nature of the area. The economics were different in that the Spanish desired precious metals for profit where as the Portuguese created sugar plantations. The Spanish colonies' economy was largely based on a substance that would run out. The Portuguese colonies' economy was mostly based on sugar plantations that used slaves to work. These differences meant that a different political system was needed in order for the Spanish and Portuguese to get what they wanted.