Conquest in the AmericasBringing the Old World to the New

Objectives

Students will analyze the first encounters between the Spanish and Native AmericansStudents will describe the short-term and long-term effects of the Spanish on the peoples of the Americas.

Vocabulary

conquistador: Spanish explorers who claimed lands in the Americas for Spain in the 14th and 15th centuriesimmunity: natural protection, resistance (to disease)Tenochtitlán: capital city of the Aztec empire, on which modern Mexico City was builtalliance: formal agreement between two or more nations or powers to cooperate and come to one another’s defensecivil war: war fought between two groups of people in the same nation

FIrst Encounters in the Americas

Columbus’ journey opened door for Spanish exploration and expansion - begin cycle of encounter, conquest and death First encounters with native people found them to be ‘generous with what they have’ - to a fault

But didn’t recognize Christian symbols and pay ‘proper respect’ - inferior

Claimed land for Spain and took prisonersAfter - waves of conquistadorsSettled islands of Hispaniola, Cuba and Puerto Rico

Guns, Horses & DiseaseConquistadors seized Native Americans’ gold ornaments and forced them to pan for more; forced to convert to ChristianityMassively outnumbered - hundreds of Spanish; millions of Native AmericansAdvantage: Guns and cannons; metal armor; horses

Disease: Unknowingly infected and killed millions of Native Americans who had no immunity to diseases like small pox, measles, influenza, etc.

Cortés Arrives in the New World

Eventually leave the islands of the Caribbean and probe the mainland

One of the first was Hernán Cortés - 1519 landed on the coast of Mexico with 600 men, 16 horses and a few cannons

Begins drive towards Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán

Gets aid of a local woman, named Maliche (later called Dõna Marina) - serve as translator and guide

Arrange alliances between people the Aztecs had conquered

Moctezuma DilemmaWord spread of Cortés arrival and journey to the capitalAztec Emperor Moctezuma was worried that these pale-skinned, bearded strangers might be Quetzalcoatl

Could Cortés be this God? Unsure. Tried to bribe him off from coming to Tenochtitlán - religiously important

Cortés inspired to push on to reach Tenochtitlán - search for gold & silver

Tenochtitlán FallsMoctezuma welcomes Cortés to the city as guests

Tensions rise - Spanish scorn Aztec religion and want to convert them; desire more of the riches

Spanish take Moctezuma prisoner to force him to sign over land and treasure to the Spanish

Same time - new group of conquistadors arrive to the East to challenge Cortés

Aztecs drive Spanish out of city in confusion; half the Spanish killed as well as MoctezumaCortés retreats, regroups and assaults Tenochtitlán - demolishes city

Small pox is big reason for it’s fall

Pizarro in PeruCortés’s “success” inspired other adventurers to pursue wealth and gloryOne such was Francisco Pizarro - interested in Peru’s Incas (reported to be greater than the Aztecs)Arrived in Peru in 1532 just after the Incan ruler Ahtahualpa had won the throne in a bloody civil war

Ahtahualpa Stands his Ground

Ahtahualpa refused to bow to Spanish rule or convertPizarro got allies from other Native American’s, captured Ahtahualpa and slaughtered thousands of Incans

Demanded a huge ransom for Ahtahualpa - Incans paidKilled him anyway

Pizarro overran Incan homeland - surge through Ecuador and Chile; before long most all of South America

Pizarro killed by rival conquistadors after he established Lima as a capital city

Effects of the Spanish Conquistadors

Great for Spain - with all this wealth brought back from the New World, Spain became the power in Europe in the 16th and early 17th centuryNative populations - not so good. Slaughter and disease had massively diminished their populations; demoralized - convert to Christianity through fear

Cultural damage has yet to be trully assessedPrecedence for other nations in the path of European expansion - fearMelding of cultures - sort of