Spain’s Colonies in AmericaSection 21.1

I. Europeans Explore the Americas- By the late 1400s, Spain and Portugal were looking for an ocean route to get to Asia.

Columbus landed on Hispaniola, but thought it was India and called the native people Indians.

This is a map of what European knowledge of the world looked like before Columbus’ voyages.

Shaw, Edward R. “European Knowledge 1400.” Map. Discoverers and Explorers. 1900. Wikipedia. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:European_knowledge_1400.jpg>.

A. Dividing Up the World

The Treaty of Tordesillas divided Latin America in half between Portugal and Spain.

It prevented a war.

Spain ended up getting most of the Americas (it got the lands west of the line of demarcation).

The Treaty

“Treaty of Tordesillas.” Tratado de Tordesilhas. Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa. Wikipedia. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Treaty_of_Tordesillas.jpg>.

A. Dividing Up the World Explorers like Balboa and

Magellan mapped out parts of the Americas.

 Spain wasn’t the only

European power interested in Latin America.

(Portuguese, French, and British all wanted in on the action.)

Balboa

Ober, Frederick A. “Balboa.” Print. Vasco Nunez de Balboa. 1906. Wikipedia. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Balboa.jpg>.

II. Spanish Rule in the Americas

Spain had a HUGE empire from Mexico to Peru.

It divided the area

into separate kingdoms.

The official in charge of each kingdom was known as a VICEROY.

Spain’s possessions.

Ramirez72. “Spanish Empire – World Map.” Map. Wikipedia, 29 April 2007. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spanish_Empire-World_Map.png>,

II. Spanish RuleThe Spanish king set up the Council of the Indies. It regulated the following:

- the Church- trade- courts

A Mexican Church.

Adampol, Carlos. “Vista nocturna de Taxco, Guerrero.” Photograph. Flickr. 10 May 2008. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/11767501@N07/2488164933>.

II. Spanish RuleThe viceroys were responsible for carrying

out the laws

Spanish views on government, law, and justice were brought to America.

Luis de Velasco (1534-1617), a Viceroy.

“de Velasco, Luis.” cr.nps.gov. Print. Wikipedia. 1 August 2006. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Luis_de_Velasco.jpg>.

A. Mercantilism

Spain believed that the purpose of the colonies was to enrich it (the parent country).

 Therefore, the colonies had TWO roles:1. Supplied the parent country with materials

(lumber, cotton, metals, sugar...)

A sugar plantation.

Dr. Blofeld. “St. Croix Virgin Islands Sugar Plantation.” Print. Wikipedia. 6 Nov. 2010. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:St._Croix_Virgin_Islands_Sugar_Plantation_01.jpg>.

A. Mercantilism2. The colonies would serve as a market to

buy Spain’s products.

Colonies could not manufacture their own goods.

They RELIED TOTALLY on the parent company.

Spain

“Mapa de Espana en 1508.” Instituto Geografico Nacional. Map. Wikipedia. 2 March 2010. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MAPA_DE_ESPA%C3%91A_EN_1508.jpg>.

B. Treasure from the Americas

The first raw materials shipped were the gold and silver jewelry and sculptures of the Aztec and Inca.

Incan gold llama.

BabelStone. “British Museum gold llama.” Photograph. Wikipedia. 21 August 2010. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_gold_llama.jpg >.

Conquistadors melted the artifacts into gold blocks.

They shipped them back to Spain – Caribbean Pirates lurked in the seas to get take the treasure!!!

 The Spanish forced the

Indians to mine the gold and silver as well.Thousands died in the

harsh conditions.

Pirate Flag of Henry Every.

EugeneZelenko. “Pirate Flag of Henry Every.” Image. Wikipedia. 27 Sep. 2005. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pirate_Flag_of_Henry_Every.svg >.

C. Plantation Economy

Agriculture was another source of wealth. Plantations would grow a single crop (cash

crop) and ship it to the parent country.

Cotton was a major cash crop.

Hrushi3030. “Cotton By Hrushikesh Kulkarni.” Photograph. Wikipedia. 12 Dec.. 2010. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_By_Hrushikesh_Kulkarni.jpg>.

III. Search for Labor In the encomienda system, Spanish settlers

would get huge tracts of land and then force the people on the land to work it.

Entire peoples were destroyed as a result.

Thousands upon thousands of Native Americans died as a result of harsh conditions caused by the settlers.

De Bry, Theodor. “Engraving of Spaniards Enslaving Native Americans.” America, Part 6. 1596. Engraving. Wikipedia. 2 July 2009. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Native_American_slaves.jpg >.

A. New LawsReports from a priest

(Bartolome de las Casas) told the Spanish King how bad the encomienda system was. Laws were made to stop the enslavement of the people.

With so many dead Indians, Spanish settlers got even more land; huge plantations known as HACIENDAS appeared, leaving the Spanish with the best land, and the Indians with the worst

De las Casas’ efforts to help the Native Americans ended up in the enslavement of Africans.

“Bartoleme de las Casas.” Print. Wikipedia. 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bartolomedelascasas.jpg>.

IV. Slave System Several factors

encouraged the growth of slavery in the Americas.

1. Spanish were already using slavery on other colonies.

2. A myth was developed that Africans were better fit for slavery.

Dehumanization occurred due to the slave trade.

Fores, S.W. “African Woman Slave Trade.” Print. 1792. Wikipedia. 24 April 2011. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:African_woman_slave_trade.jpg>.

V. Columbian Exchange European exploration and its conquest of the

Americas created important links between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. 

Plants, animals, and knowledge were exchanged between the two areas.

Columbian Exchange Music, folktales, religion, law, government,

and culture were all transplanted into new areas 

Disease (small pox) also was brought...devastating the Native American population.

Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange changed the world and ushered in a new era.

Supportstorm. “Detailed Triangle Trade.” Map. Wikipedia. 24 April 2011. Web. 28 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Detailed_Triangle_Trade.jpg>.

Work CitedAhmad, Iftikhar, et al. World Cultures: A Global Mosaic.

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., 2004. Print.

All images used were filed under the public domain or creative commons licenses.