spain builds and american...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 20
Section 1
Spain Builds and American Empire
Spain Builds and American Empire
1492- seeking an alternate trade route to Asia, Christopher Columbus “discovers” America and accidently brings together peoples of the Americas, Europe and Africa
His main interest was the gold found there and upon returning to Spain talked of the treasures he found and embarked on a second voyage
Spain’s rulers financed three more trips with more men and ships and began to found colonies (lands controlled by another nation)
1500 Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed modern day Brazil for Portugal
1501: Amerigo Vespucci discovers that the land is a “New World”, not Asia.
1519 Ferdinand Magellan sailed around the southern end of South America and across the Pacific (along the way claiming the Philippines for Spain)
In 1522 when they returned to Spain only 18 men and one ship were left, first voyage to circumnavigate the globe
First Encounters
• Pedro Alvares Cabral- A Portuguese explorer who claimed Brazil for Portugal
Ferdinand Magellan’s Mission
Circumnavigates the World 1519 - 1521
Spain Builds an American Empire
Spanish were first European explorers and settlers of the Americas
Made Spain a very wealthy country and their culture influenced the cultures of North and South America that exists today
Spanish explorers known as conquistadors came to the Americas to follow rumors of gold and silver
They stayed and carved out colonies in regions that would become Mexico,
South America and the United States
Spain Builds an American Empire
Spanish Conquests in Mexico
1519 Hernando Cortes and 600 men landed in Mexico
They heard of wealthy Aztec empire and its capital Tenochtitlan
Cortes marched inland and was welcomed by the Aztec emperor Montezuma, who thought the Spaniards were gods
Aztecs soon figured out the intentions of Cortes and drove the Spaniards out of the capital
1521 Cortes and the Spaniards defeated the Aztecs even though they were greatly outnumbered
Reasons for Spanish victory
a) Made allies with groups that did not like Aztecs.
b) Spanish had superior weapons and horses.
c) Diseases like measles, smallpox, typhus; that the Native Americans had no natural immunity.
Effects of Old World Disease
Native Americans had no natural resistance to diseases that were common in Europe Asia and Africa
Killed up to 90% of Native American population across North and South America within the first 100 years of European contact
Made it easier for Europeans to conquer the Americas because Native American did not have the numbers to resist
Caused fear and confusion among native groups
When many European explorers reached new areas they found empty villages and towns
Spain Builds an American Empire
Spanish Conquest in Peru
1532- Francisco Pizarro takes army of 200 into the heart of the huge Incan empire in South America
They kidnap their ruler Atahualpa and demand a ransom of gold (even though the Inca had an army of 30,000), after they received their gold they strangled the Inca king
This demoralized the Inca people and the Spaniards quickly seized control of their empire
Machu Picchu: Lost City of the Incas
Spain Builds an American Empire
By the middle of the 1500’s Spain had created a huge American empire
Drew from techniques learned during the reconquista (when the Spanish drove the Muslims from Spain)
Spanish imposed their culture on the people they conquered in the Americas
Most Spanish settlers were men so they had relationships with native women
Result of relationships was the creation of a mestizo (mixed Spanish and American) population
Spanish also forced native population to work for them
System called encomendia where the Indians farmed, ranched and mined for their Spanish landlords, often they were abused or mistreated
Social Pyramid in Spanish America
Portuguese Empire in America
One area that remained outside of European
influence was Brazil
Region was given to Portugal because of
Treaty of Tordesillas and claimed by Brazil in
1500
Colonists settled coastal areas and built huge
sugar plantations
The demand for sugar was great in Europe
and made huge profits for Portugal
Spain Builds an American Empire
Spain’s American colonies made it the richest and most powerful nation in the world during the 1500’s
Spain built a powerful navy and army to control and protect their empire
By the end of the 1500’s Spain pushed into what is now the US
1540-1541 Francisco Coronado explored the Southwest in search of a city of gold, did not find any
Catholic priests followed the conquistadors to convert natives
Priests used to explore and colonize North America
Catholic priests set up missions across the Southwest and California where towns grew up around them (Santa Fe, San Diego, San Francisco)
Spain Builds an American Empire
Opposition to Spanish Rule
Spanish priests pushed for better treatment of Native Americans
Criticized harsh treatment of native Americans under the encomendia system
1542 Spanish government ended encomendia system and began to use African slaves for labor
Native Americans began to resist Spanish colonizers as well
Spanish burned sacred Native American objects, banned Indian religious practices and built Catholic churches on top of Indian religious centers
1680 Pope, a Native American ruler led a rebellion against Spanish rule and pushed them back into New Spain
It took the Spanish 12 years to take the area back
How did success in exploration &
conquest affect Spain?
Golden Age in arts &
culture
Great military power
in Europe and
Overseas