the conquistadors spanish conquest of the americas
TRANSCRIPT
The Conquistadors
Spanish conquest of the Americas
Describe the Diversity that existed amongst native peoples of the Americas prior to the arrival of
Europeans?• Geography = Different
• South = More complex civilizations (Aztecs & Incas).
What Initially Caused European Exploration and which 2 countries
took the lead?
• A = Looking for new trade routes to Asia.
– 1. Portuguese go South (Africa)– 2. Columbus goes West (North America)
Portuguese• Prince Henry “The
Navigator”
• Borrowing from Muslim World
• The Caravel•
Columbus & Spain
• 1492
• Landed 1st in Hispaniola (Haiti/Dominican Republic)
• Later Cuba
Impact of Columbus
• News of the “New World” that Columbus had “discovered” motivated Spain to send men to conquer & colonize the Americas.
• These Spaniards were called Conquistadors.
Spanish Motivations for Colonizing the New World (Americas)
• The 3-G’s
• Gold
• God
• Glory
Spanish Attitudes towards Native Americans
• Spaniards thought natives were inferior “savages” because of the way they dressed & their beliefs (they were not Christians).
• Spaniards would force Native Americans to convert to Christianity and to do forced labor. (Mining for Gold and Silver.)
Why The Conquistadors were able to conquer the People of Central
and South America• Guns, Germs, and
Steel.
• In other words, superior technology, horses, diseases.
• Smallpox is the big killer.
Hernando Cortes
Took an army of a few hundred men and conquered the Aztecs (1519-1521).
• The Aztecs thought he was a God a first.
• Kidnapped Montezuma, then killed him.• • Built Mexico City on top of Tenochtitlan.
Francisco Pizarro
• Led 168 Conquistadors and conquered the Inca.
Spanish Settlement
• Mostly men, so lots of race mixing.
• Missions
• Presidios
• Stretch from Present West coast of USA to bottom of South America.
Switch to Slave Labor
• Since disease killed so many of the Native Americans, the Spaniards began using African slave labor in the Americas.
“Columbian Exchange”
• Refers to exchange of goods, diseases, and people between the New World and the Old World.
• Europe, North and South America, and Africa.
Review
• What 2-factors allowed for European exploration in the 1400s?
• What motivated European Exploration?
• What was Columbus looking for?