Spanish Explorers and Colonies

1
Spanish Explorers and Colonies

• In August of 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail
  to find a route to Asia by sailing west Across
  the Atlantic Ocean

• In October of the same year, Columbus small fleet
  reached land. He thought he was in Asia, but was
  actually in North America

• Excited about his discovery, the Spanish King
  funded more voyages for Columbus, to explore and
  colonize new lands

• Columbus landed his ships, the Nina, the Pinta,
  and the Santa Maria on the Caribbean islands we
  now call San Salvador, near Cuba

2
Spanish Explorers and Colonies

• Columbus' discoveries had a major impact on
  Native American, African and European societies

• European's dominated native populations with
  advanced weapons and forced them into labor on
  plantations

• As populations declined, Europeans eventually
  began capturing Africans as slaves for American
  plantations

• Thousands of Native Americans died from European
  diseases for which they had no natural immunity

3
Spanish Explorers and Colonies

• Columbus' voyages sparked thousands of Europeans
  to cross the Atlantic in search of a fresh start
  in the New World

• National Rivalries exploded as European powers
  raced to secure dominance of the Western
  Hemisphere

• Columbus and other explorers discovered many new
  plants and animals in the New World and brought
  many of them back to Europe

• They also introduced diseases, plants and animals
  from Europe to North America.
• This movement of living things became known as
  the Columbian Exchange

4
Spanish Explorers and Colonies

• After Columbus, many explorers crossed the
  Atlantic to conquer lands for Spain

• These men were known as conquistadors, which
  means conquerors

• Cortes beat the Aztec into submission to take
  their gold. They attempted a rebellion, But
  disease and the conquistadors superior weapons
  led to their surrender

• The most famous conquistador is Hernando Cortes.
  With a force of around 500 men, he conquered the
  Aztec Empire

5
Spanish Explorers and Colonies

• The Spanish built a vast empire across North,
  Central and South America.

• They defeated the Aztec in Central America and
  claimed their land and resources, renaming it New
  Spain

• The Spanish also explored much of what is now the
  American Southwest, including New Mexico and
  California.

• By 1532 the Spanish had defeated the mighty Inca
  Empire in South America

6
Spanish Explorers and Colonies

• The Spanish not only explored and conquered lands
  in the Americas, but also sought to spread
  Christianity to Native populations

• By the 1700s many Spanish Missions had been
  established in the American Soutwest for this
  purpose

• Modern cities like San Diego, San Fransico and
  San Antonio began as Spanish Missions in the 1700s

• These communities, often protected by forts,
  would become towns and later cities

7
Spanish Explorers and Colonies

• Spanish rule, though widespread, would not last
  long.
• The Spanish empire grew large and difficult to
  control

• Many Native American groups, including the
  Pueblo, resisted the Spanish in uprisings and
  rebellions

• This ended Spain's Atlantic dominance and opened
  the door for British colonization of North America

• Finally in 1588 England's fleet defeated the
  Spanish Armada on the Atlantic Ocean