ONE EUROPEAN’S STORYIn 1493, the rulers of Spain and Portugal

wanted Pope Alexander VI to decide who

would control the lands that sailors from

their countries were exploring.

In May 1493, Alexander VI issued his

ruling. He drew an imaginary line around

the world. It was called the Line of

Demarcation. Portugal could claim all

non-Christian lands to the east of the

line. Spain could claim the non-Christian

lands to the west. In this section, you will learn how Spain and Portugal

led Europe in the race to gain colonies in the Americas.

European Exploration of the Americas 61

Pope Alexander VI

Spain Claims an Empire

MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW TERMS & NAMES

11

Spain and Portugal CompeteKing John II was unhappy with the pope’s placement of the line. Hebelieved that it favored Spain. So he demanded that the Spanish rulers meetwith him to change the pope’s decision. In June 1494, the two countriesagreed to the Treaty of Tordesillas (TAWR•day•SEEL•yahs). This treatymoved the Line of Demarcation more than 800 miles farther west.

The change eventually allowed Portugal to claim much of easternSouth America, which later became the Portuguese colony of Brazil.After making this agreement, Spain and Portugal increased their voyagesof exploration in search of wealth, power, and glory.

European countries had three main goals during this age of explo-ration. First, they wanted to spread Christianity beyond Europe. Eachexpedition included missionaries, or people sent to convert the nativepeoples to Christianity. Second, they wanted to expand their empires.Third, they wanted to become rich.

By increasing their wealth, European countries could gain power andsecurity. An economic system called mercantilism describes how

Spain claimed a large empire in

the Americas.

The influence of Spanish culture

remains strong in modern America.

Treaty of Tordesillas

missionary

mercantilism

Amerigo Vespucci

conquistador

Hernando Cortés

Montezuma

Francisco Pizarro

Event/Idea Notes

Exploration

EstablishingColoniesEuropeanCompetition

ColumbianExchange

Origins ofSlavery

Taking Notes

Use your chart totake notes about exploring and estab-lishing colonies.

CALIFORNIA STANDARDS

7.11.1 Know the great voyages of dis-covery, the locations of the routes,and the influence of cartography inthe development of a new Europeanworldview.

7.11.2 Discuss the exchanges of plants,animals, technology, culture, andideas among Europe, Africa, Asia andthe Americas in the 15th and 16thcenturies and the major economicand social effects on each continent.

7.11.3 Examine the origins of moderncapitalism; the influence of mercantil-ism and cottage industry; the ele-ments and importance of a marketeconomy in seventeenth-centuryEurope; the changing internationaltrading and marketing patterns,including their locations on a worldmap; and the influence of explorersand map makers.

CST3 Students use a variety of mapsand documents to identify physicaland cultural features of neighbor-hoods, cities, states, and countriesand to explain the historical migra-tion of people, expansion and disin-tegration of empires, and the growthof economic systems.

Europeans enriched their treasuries. (See Economics in History, above.)Colonies helped nations do this in several ways. They provided mines thatproduced gold and silver. They also produced goods such as crops thatcould be traded for gold and silver. Finally, they served as a market for thehome country. The search for riches spurred European exploration.

Europeans Explore Foreign LandsAfter Columbus’s first voyage, many explorers went to sea. AmerigoVespucci (vehs•POO•chee) was one of the first. He was an Italian sailorwho set out in 1501 to find a sea route to Asia. Vespucci realized that theland he saw on this voyage was not Asia. A German mapmaker wasimpressed by Vespucci’s account of the lands, so he named the continent“America” after him.

Another famous explorer was the Spaniard Vasco Núñez de Balboa.Balboa heard Native American reports of another ocean. In 1513, he ledan expedition through the jungles of Panama and reached the PacificOcean. Raising his sword, Balboa stepped into the surf and claimed theocean and all the lands around it for Spain. (See page 59.)

Perhaps no explorer was more capable than the Portuguese sailorFerdinand Magellan. He proposed to reach Asia by sailing west aroundSouth America. The Spanish king agreed to fund Magellan’s voyage.

62 CHAPTER 2

MercantilismThe main goal of mercantilism was to increase the money in acountry’s treasury by creating a favorable balance of trade. A country had a favorable balance of trade if it had more exportsthan imports. Colonies helped a country have the goods to maintain a favorable balance of trade.

For example, say Spain sold $500 in sugar to France, and Francesold $300 in cloth to Spain. France would also have to pay Spain $200worth of precious metals to pay for all the sugar. Spain would thenhave a favorable balance of trade because the value of its exports(sugar) was greater than the value of its imports (cloth). Spain wouldbecome richer because of the precious metals it received from France.

CONNECT TO HISTORY1. Finding Main Ideas Under

mercantilism, what did acountry need to do to becomerich? Discuss the way coloniesenriched a country according tomercantilism.

See Skillbuilder Handbook, page R5.

CONNECT TO TODAY2. Making Inferences Think

about your own family budget.What do you think would happenif your family collected less moneythan it paid for goods for severalyears? Do you think this situationwould be the same for a nation asit would for a family?

For more about mercantilism . . .

RESEARCH LINKSCLASSZONE .COM

Vocabularycolony: a regionor people that ispolitically andeconomically con-trolled byanother country

France

Spain

Sugar$500

Gold & Silver$200

Cloth$300

CALIFORNIA STANDARDS

7.11.3 Examine the origins of modern capital-ism; the influence of mercantilism and cottageindustry; the elements and importance of amarket economy in seventeenth-centuryEurope; the changing international trading andmarketing patterns, including their locations ona world map; and the influence of explorersand map makers.

In 1519, Magellan set out from Spain with five ships and about 240men. After a stormy passage around South America, Magellan enteredthe Pacific Ocean. For several months his crew crossed the Pacific, suf-fering great hardship. A member of the crew described what they ate.

A VOICE FROM THE PAST

We were three months and twenty days without . . . fresh food. We atebiscuit, which was no longer biscuit, but powder of biscuits swarming withworms. . . . We drank . . . water that had been putrid for many days.

Antonio Pigafetta, quoted in The Discoverers

Eventually, Magellan reached the Philippines, where he becameinvolved in a local war and was killed. But his crew traveled on. In 1522,the one remaining ship arrived back in Spain. The sailors in Magellan’screw became the first people to sail around the world.

The Invasion of MexicoWhile Magellan’s crew was sailing around the world, the Spanish begantheir conquest of the Americas. Soldiers called conquistadors(kahn•KWIHS•tuh•DAWRZ), or conquerors, explored the Americas andclaimed them for Spain. Hernando Cortés was one of these conquista-dors. He landed on the Central American coast with 508 men in 1519.

The Spanish arrival shook the Aztec Empire, which dominated most

A. Finding MainIdeas What were the maincontributions ofVespucci, Balboa,and Magellan as explorers?A. AnswerVespucci was thefirst to realizethat the Americaswere not Asia.Balboa reachedthe Pacific bycrossing Panama.Magellan led anexpedition thattravelled aroundthe world.

N O R T HA M E R I C A

S O U T HA M E R I C A

A F R I C A

EUROPEFRANCE

CUBA HISPANIOLA

CANARYISLANDS

MADEIRA

AZORESSPAIN

PORTUGAL

ENGLAND

Tenochtitlán(Mexico City)

St. Augustine

Santa Fe

Santo DomingoVeracruz

A T L A N T I CO C E A N

G u l f o fM e x i c o

C a r i b b e a nS e a

P A C I F I CO C E A N

Verrazzano 1524

1534

Cabot 1497

Balboa1510–1513

Pizarro1530–1533

Ponce de León1512–1513

Columbus 1502–1504

Mag

ella

n15

19Cabr

al15

00

Cabrillo1542–1543

Coronado 1540–1542

Cabeza de Vaca 1528–1536

De Soto1539–1542

Magellan's Crew

1522

Cortés 1519

Vesp

ucci

1499–1500

1535–

1536 Cartier

1501–1502

120˚

W

0˚40˚W

80˚W

40˚ N

Tropic of Cancer

0˚ Equator

0

0

1,000 Miles

2,000 Kilometers

SpanishExplorers’ Routes

FrenchEnglishAztec Empire,1519Inca Empire,1525

Portuguese

SkillbuilderAnswers1. Eight2. North America

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDERInterpreting Maps1. Movement How many years did it

take Cabeza de Vaca to travel fromFlorida to Central Mexico?

2. Region Which continent did theEnglish and French explore?

63

European Exploration of the Americas, 1500–1550

of Mexico. The Aztec emperor Montezuma feared that Cortés had beensent by an Aztec god to rule Mexico. Montezuma sent Cortés gifts—including two disks of solid gold and silver—to get him to leave. But thegifts only excited Spanish dreams of riches.

The Spaniards marched inland and formed alliances (agreementswith friendly peoples) with the native peoples who hated Aztec rule.After a few months, Cortés reached the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán(teh•NAWCH•tee•TLAHN). Montezuma received Cortés with great cer-emony and housed the conquistadors in a magnificent palace. But Cortéstook Montezuma captive and tried to rule the Aztec Empire by givingcommands through Montezuma. The Aztecs rebelled.

The Aztecs surrounded the Spaniards and their allies in their head-quarters in Tenochtitlán. On the night of June 30, 1520, the Spaniardstried to sneak out of the city, but the Aztecs discovered them and viciousfighting broke out. About 800 Spaniards and more than 1,000 of theirallies were killed that night. The Spaniards later called the event LaNoche Triste (lah NAW•cheh TREES•teh)—the Sad Night.

Despite this defeat, the Spaniards and their allies regrouped. In May1521, Cortés led his forces back to Tenochtitlán. At this point, theSpaniards got help from an invisible ally. Many Aztecs fell victim to an out-

BackgroundOne of the people whomCortés broughtinto his groupwas Malintzin.She was thedaughter of alocal chief andserved as an interpreter for Cortés.

Which man would you prefer to have as leader of your country? Why?

64 CHAPTER 2

HERNANDO CORTÉS

1485–1547

Hernando Cortés was born in Spain to anoble but poor family. In 1504, at the age of 19, he sailed to the Americas to seek his fortune. Although hebecame a wealthy land-owner in Cuba, he was notsatisfied. “I have come towin gold,” he said, “not toplow the fields like apeasant.” His greatchance came when hewas picked to leadthe expedition toMexico. Strong-willed, shrewd,and cruel, Cortéssucceeded againstgreat odds.

MONTEZUMA

1466–1520

Montezuma, ruler of the Aztec Empire, rose tothe throne in 1502. His words carriedweight with his subjects.

According to Juan de Tovar,a Jesuit, “When he spoke, hedrew the sympathy of othersby his subtle phrases and . . .by his profound reasoning.”

Montezuma lived in greatluxury, receiving officials

and commoners alikeat his lavish palace.His subjects treatedhim almost as a godand were notallowed to look athim. Though brutalat times, he wassaid to be a just andeffective ruler.

break of smallpox, which severely weakened theirranks. The germs that caused this disease hadbeen brought to America by the Europeans.

Cortés placed Tenochtitlán under siege forthree months. When Tenochtitlán finally fell,the Aztec Empire lay in ruins. An Aztec poetdescribed the scene.

A VOICE FROM THE PAST

Broken spears lie in the roads; we have torn our hairin our grief. The houses are roofless now, and theirwalls are red with blood. . . . We have pounded ourhands in despair against the adobe walls, for ourinheritance, our city, is lost and dead.

Aztec poet, quoted in Seeds of Change

On the rubble of the Aztec capital, the Spanish builtMexico City. Over time, the populations and cultures of Spainand Mexico merged and produced a new society, that of the present-daynation of Mexico.

The Conquest of the Incan EmpireDespite the fall of the Aztecs, a people called the Inca still had a powerfulempire centered in the Cuzco Valley in what is now Peru. By 1525, the Incaruled a 2,000-mile-long territory in the Andes Mountains along the west-ern coast of South America. The Inca also possessed much gold and silver.

Native American stories of Incan wealth reached the Spanish. In1531, a conquistador named Francisco Pizarro led an expedition of 180men into Peru. Like the Aztecs, the Incas feared that the Spanish mightbe gods. The Incan emperor Atahualpa (AH•tuh•WAHL•puh) orderedhis troops not to fight. Then he went to meet the conquistadors. TheSpanish attacked quickly. They killed thousands of Incas and tookAtahualpa captive. In an attempt to free himself, the Incan emperor gavethe Spanish a treasure of gold. The Spaniards strangled him anyway.

With Atahualpa dead, the Incan Empire collapsed. Having beenordered by Atahualpa not to fight, the Incas refused to defend them-selves even after his death. Then Pizarro took control of this area forSpain. The Spanish called the area Peru.

Reasons for Spanish VictoriesPeople have long been amazed that the great Aztec and Incan empiresfell to such small groups of Spanish conquistadors. But Spanish successcan be explained by four major reasons.

1. The spread of European diseases killed millions of NativeAmericans and weakened their resistance to conquest.

2. The Spanish were excellent soldiers and sailors. They also had superior weapons, such as guns, that helped them defeat much larger Native American armies.

European Exploration of the Americas 65

Vocabularysiege: surround-ing of a city

C. DrawingConclusions Whydid the IncanEmpire fall to the Spanish?C. Answer TheIncas feared thatthe Spaniardsmight be gods.The Inca warriorsrefused to defendthemselvesbecause Atahualpahad ordered themnot to fight.

This Aztec maskrepresentsQuetzalcoatl,the god thatMontezumafeared had sent Cortés.

B. Reading a MapUse the map onpage 63 to findthe Incan Empire.

66 CHAPTER 2

2. Using GraphicsReview the section and findfour events to place on atime line that shows howSpain built its empire.

Which event do you think isthe most important? Why?(CST2)

3. Main Ideasa. Why did Europeansexplore different territories?(HI2)

b. Why did Spain succeed in conquering so much of the Americas? (HI2)

c. What was significantabout the Magellan expedition? (HI2)

4. Critical ThinkingComparing What was similar about the conquestsof Mexico and Peru? (HI2)

THINK ABOUT• the conquistadors• the Incan and Aztec leaders

1. Terms & NamesExplain the

significance of:• Treaty of Tordesillas• missionary• mercantilism• Amerigo Vespucci• conquistador• Hernando Cortés• Montezuma• Francisco Pizarro

Section Assessment

ACTIVITY OPTIONS

ARTLANGUAGE ARTS

Use the library or the Internet to find a photograph of an Aztec or Incan artifact.Create a replica or write a description of the object. (CST3)

1

3. Spain made alliances with Native Americanswho were enemies of the Aztecs and Incas.

4. The Spanish conquistadors acted brutally towardthe Native Americans under their control.Having conquered the major Native American

empires in Central and South America, theSpaniards began to explore other parts of Northand South America.

Other Spanish ExplorersThe Spaniards hoped to collect treasures fromNorth America as they had from Mexico andPeru. Rumors of golden cities kept Spanishhopes high. For example, a few men, includingthe Spaniard Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca andEstevanico, a slave of North African descent,survived a shipwreck off the North Americanmainland. As the men wandered across the con-tinent, they heard Native American stories aboutcities of gold. When they reached Mexico,Cabeza de Vaca and Estevanico thrilled theSpaniards with the rumors.

Between 1539 and 1542, three expeditions set out to find these cities.Francisco Vázquez de Coronado traveled through present-day Arizonaand New Mexico. Hernando de Soto set out from Florida to explore thesoutheast. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailed up the California coast. But allthree failed to find the fabled cities of gold.

For a while, it seemed that the Spaniards would explore the Americasall by themselves. As you will read in the next section, however, theSpanish would soon face competition from other Europeans.

1492 1542

Spain Builds an Empire

D. DrawingConclusionsWhat was themost importantreason for theSpanish success in conquering territory in theAmericas?D. PossibleResponses Somestudents will saydisease. Othersmight say betterweapons.

Estevanico was aslave who helpedthe Spanishexplore parts ofNorth America. Hewas killed duringCoronado’s searchfor golden cities.