Which Catholic religious orders spread Christianity in Spanish and Portuguese America?

The primary Catholic religious orders responsible for spreading Christianity throughout Spanish and Portuguese America were the Franciscans, the Dominicans, the Augustinians, and the Jesuits.12

These orders served as the chief institutions for evangelization, often accompanying explorers and soldiers on expeditions as part of the royal duty of the Spanish and Portuguese monarchs under the system of royal patronage (patronato real or padroado). Members of these orders traveled extensively to establish missions, build churches, and instruct Indigenous populations in the faith.12

While these missionaries were instrumental in the expansion of the Roman Catholic Church, their efforts were frequently intertwined with the military conquest and colonization of the region. This history is marked by significant ethical complexity; while some clergy, such as the Dominican Bartolomé de Las Casas, became prominent advocates for the humane treatment of Indigenous peoples against colonial exploitation, the orders themselves were also involved in the systemic use of enslaved labor, which stands in direct opposition to the fundamental Christian principles of human dignity and justice.123