SPANISH EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION OF THE AMERICAS

Also Known as “The Encounter”

Causes of Spanish Exploration and Colonization of the Americas God, Gold, Glory- What do you think this

means?

More Causes

The Crusades-

The Reconquista-

The Protestant Reformation-

New Technology-

A 1737 engraving showing a Spanish priest preaching to the Indians in Mexico

Source: Isidro Félix de Espinosa, “Engraving of Father Margil,” El Peregrino Septentrional Atlante: Delineado en la Exemplarissima Vida del Venerable Padre F. Antonio Margil de Jesús, 1737*

Positives for the Spanish

• American foods introduced into Europe healthier people population explosion

• Benefitted from the encomienda system• Mercantilism- colonies exist for the benefit of the

mother country Forced colonies to provide valuable natural resources, then manufactured goods and sold the goods back to the natives and colonists

• Learned valuable information from the natives (ie. How to build canoes, what foods were safe to eat, etc.)

• Population migration from Europe to the Americas

Positives for the Native Americans To meet the Church’s needs for

educated priests, Spain built schools and universities in the colonies

To get to valuable resources, Spain built roads in the colonies

Columbian ExchangeFrom Old World to New World From New World to Old World

wheat sugar bananas rice grapes horses pigs cattle sheep chickens smallpox measles typhus

corn potato beans peanuts squash pumpkin tomatoes avocados chili pepper pineapple cocoa tobacco quinine (a medicine for malaria)

Negatives for the Native Americans Millions of Native Americans died of

diseases introduced by the Europeans Overworked under the encomienda

system many more die Transatlantic slave trade

Destruction of native empires (Aztec, Inca), culture, and language

Forcibly converted to Christianity Racist Social class system

Social Class Pyramid of Latin America Under Spanish Rule

Latin American Social Class System Peninsulares Spanish official sent to govern Latin

American colonies.  They controlled government completely. Creoles American born Spanish gentry,  They owned most of the land but were treated like second class citizens, and were denied political rights. Mestizos Spanish/Native America- denied basic political, economic, and social rights due to their mixed heritage. Mulattoes Spanish/African- denied basic political, economic, and social rights due to their mixed heritage. Native Americans & Slaves Lowest social class.  They had no rights and were often treated poorly and used as a labor source by the plantation owning Creoles.

What did the drastic reduction in the Native population lead the Spanish to do?

Slave Ship

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/slavery/slave-ship-2.jpg

Middle Passage

Negatives for the Spanish

• As a result of the introduction of massive amounts of silver and gold into Europe, inflation skyrocketed. Because some people had a lot of money, but most people had very little money, those with money overspent and drove prices up.

• Success in the colonies made Britain, France, and the Netherlands jealous competition over colonies

Terms to Review

Reconquista imperialism Middle Passage encomienda Columbian Exchange mercantilism

Thematic Essay

• Theme: Imperialism• Task:

– Discuss the causes of Spanish exploration and Colonization/ imperialism of the Americas

– Discuss the positive and negative effects of Spanish Imperialism in the Americas

– Evaluate Spanish Imperialism Great Event or Great Tragedy

Essays are a minimum of 5 paragraphs in length,include an introduction and a conclusion