Spanish and Portuguese Colonies in the Americas

I. Ruling the Spanish Empire

1. Spain’s empire stretched from California to South America

2. Council of the Indies passed colony laws –appointed viceroys

A. The Catholic Church1. Winning souls for Christianity was as

important as gaining land2. Introduced European clothing, the

Spanish language, and new crafts

I. Ruling the Spanish EmpireB. The Economy

1. Valuable resources were silver and gold2. Plantations required large numbers of workers

and were profitable3. Encomiendas gave the right to demand labor

or tribute from the Native AmericansC. Bartolome de las Casas

4. He condemned the evils of the encomienda system

5. Native Americans were forced to labor for a landlord and create debts

I. Ruling the Spanish Empire

D. Bringing workers from Africa1. Colonists brought Africans to work in

the Americas2. Were forced to work as field hands,

miners, and servants3. Africans outnumbered American-born

and rebelled many times.

II. Colonial Society and Culture

A. Social Structure1. Top of the society were peninsulares and

creoles2. Bottom of society were mestizos,

mulattos, Native Americans and AfricansB. Cities

3. Spanish settlers lived in towns and cities4. Centers of government, commerce and

culture

II. Colonial Society and Culture

C. Education1. Built universities to educate young men2. Women had to join convents to be

educatedD. Cultural Blending

3. Native American style of building, native foods, traveled in canoes

4. Settlers taught religion, introduced animals5. Africans added farming methods, cooking

styles, and crops

III. Portuguese Colony in Brazil

A. The Ecomony1. Began trading Brazilwood to make dyes2. Cleared land for sugar plantations and

cattle raising.B. A New Culture

1. European dominated the upper and middle class, Natives and Africans influenced the whole.

IV. Challenging Spanish Power

1. the wealth of the Americas helped make Spain the most powerful country in Europe

2. Dutch, English and French pirates preyed on Spanish treasure ships