spain & the americas. i. voyages of columbus aug. 3, 1492: the nina, pinta, & santa maria...
TRANSCRIPT
Spain & the Americas
I. Voyages of Columbus
Aug. 3, 1492: the Nina, Pinta, & Santa Maria East Indies? ---los indios Claimed San Salvador in the name of Spain
• NO GOLD!
1493: returned to Spain Sept. 1493: 2nd journey (Empire!)
A. Other Explorers
1500: Pedro Alvares Cabral—Brazil 1501: Amerigo Vespucci—east coast of S. America---
this was a “new” world! Not Asia! 1510: Vasco Nunez de Balboa—first to see Pacific
Ocean from Amers. 1519: Ferdinand Magellan—sailed around southern tip
of S. Amer. into Pacific • Reached Philippines, killed in a local war
• Only 18 men returned to Spain.
II. Spain in Mexico
1519: Hernando Cortes (Spaniard) • 11 ships, 600 men
• Conquistadors
• Motivation?
A. Cortes Conquers the Aztecs
Cortes reached Tenochtitlan • Quetzacoatl?
Montezuma II (Aztec Emp.) Cortes had a “disease of the heart that
only gold can cure”
Diego Velasquez (Spanish Gov. of Cuba) Cuba suffered from labor shortage
• 1516-1518: sent expeditions to Yucatan
• Indications of a wealthy civ.
Hernan Cortes was commissioned• Explore, trade, recover Christian captives
• Artillery, 16 horsemen, 600 men
• Denounced authority of Velasquez
• Founded Villa Rica de la Cruz (“chief administrative officer”)
Villa Rica de la Cruz (“Rich Village of the True Cross”)
Goal of Cortes = CONQUER MEXICO! Wrote letter to King Charles V to justify his
actions • It would be a “just war”
Two translators: Jeronimo Aguilar & Malinche• Sought native allies (enemies of Aztecs)
• Cempoalans & Tlaxcalans
Arrived at Tenochtitlan • Quetzacoatl?
Cortes seized Montezuma • Aztecs collected ransom $$$
• Cortes left for a short time• In his absence, his troops massacred an unarmed crowd
• UPRISING!!
• Cortes hoped Montezuma could calm the uprising• Montezuma has sided w/the enemy??!! ---killed by a thrown stone
• Cortes retreated, regrouped, & returned w/reinforcements 1521: Cortes besieged Tenochtitlan
• Blockade, smallpox & measles broke out…laid waste to city Cortes’s success absolved him of punishment for action against
Velasquez
III. Spain in Peru
1532: Francisco Pizarro & 200 men landed Inca had just ended civil war (Atahualpa) Piz. met Atah. at Cajamarca
• Atah. = 6,000 unarmed men
• Spaniards ambushed Inca
• Kidnapped Atah. (ransom) Piz. executed Atah. Proclaimed Manco emperor
1533:Pizarro ruled Incan Empire 1544: Spanish had ruthlessly taken over
all of Incan territory New Spain = Mexico,
Guatemala, Central/S.Amer.,
Caribbean
A. Spain’s Conquest
Mestizo? Encomienda system?
• Land & labor grants by Spanish Crown
• Encomiendero took income/labor from land
B. Portugal in Brazil
1500: Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed Brazil for Port.
Show me the money!!!??? Developed sugar plantations (big $ in Euro.)
IV. Spain Cont’d. to Expand
16th Cent.—Spain = most-powerful in world!! • Colonies produced big $$$ (gold/silver)
• Also—wheat, rice, indigo, cotton, coffee, sugar cane
cattle, horses, & sheep
A. Spain in N. Amer.
Also settled lands in southwestern U.S. 1513: Juan Ponce de Leon
• First governor of Puerto Rico
• Fountain of Youth? –discovered Florida (“flowery”)
1540-1541: Francisco Vasquez de Coronado • led expedition thru AZ, NM, TX, OK, & KA (no
gold!)
Spain sent priests 1609-1610: Pedro de Peralta (gov. of
NM)• est. Santa Fe (“Holy Faith”) as capital
V. Opposition to Spanish Rule
Spanish priests = better treatment of Nat. Amers. • Encomienderos were abusive to Amerindians
Bartolome de Las Casas (Dominican friar)• Amerindians should have equal rights
• New Law (1542):
• Most of its provisions were abandoned due to widespread protest
• Gradually, encomiendas were eliminated (Amerindians put on reservations)