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