The Spanish in the Americas

1
The Spanish in the Americas
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Columbus

• Columbus left for voyage in 1492 funded by Spain
  and landed on October 12, 1492 in the Caribbean
  (probably on the Bahamas)
• Named the island San Salvador
• Columbuss mission was for gold
• 1493 returned to Spain with the good news and the
  monarchy funded more trips for him in the hopes
  of creating colonies in the new world

3
Other Explorers

• 1500 Pedro Alvares Cabral- Brazil
• 1501 Amerigo Vespucci South America and in 1507
  a German mapmaker named the continents America
• 1519 Ferdinand Magellan sailed around the world
  (he was killed in the Phillipines)

4
Spain Builds an American Empire- The
Conquistadors

• Hernando Cortes landed in Mexico in 1519
• Goes to Tenochtitlan and meets Aztec ruler
  Montezuma II
• Montezuma II initially welcomes him
• Cortes finds gold and silver and soon forces the
  Aztecs to mine for him
• Aztecs rebel but with no success and in 1521
  Cortes conquered the Aztecs
• o  Superior weaponry
• o  Help from some native groups
• o  Disease- smallpox, measles, mumps, typhus
• Pizarro
• 1532 conquered the Inca easily

5
Spains Pattern of Conquest

• Peninsulares- European-born settlers
• Mestizos- mixed Spanish and Native American
• Encomienda- system of forced labor

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Brazil

• Belonged to Portugal
• Not much silver or gold, so began to grow sugar

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Spain Expands its Influence

• Spain became the richest, most powerful nation
  during the 16th century
• Increased its military
• Settlers push north
• o  1513- Florida
• o  Went to territory in NM, TX, OK, KS but with
  little gold they left the exploration to priests

8
Opposition to Spanish Rule

• Spanish priests pushed for better treatment of
  Native Americans
• As a result of criticism the encomienda system
  was abolished in 1542
• Natives also rebelled but with little success
• 1680 Pope led a rebellion that interrupted the
  Spanish for 12 years