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Spain’s EmpireIn The Americas
Aztecs
Moctezuma: The Aztec emperorwho ruled over much of Mexico
Settled in central Mexico in the 1300’s
Built their capital, Tenochtitlan, on anisland in the middle of Lake Texcoco
By 1500 the Aztec empire stretchedfrom the Gulf of Mexico to the PacificOcean and included millions of people
Aztecs
Paid special attention to the sun god
Believed that each day the sun battledits way across the heavens
Believed that the sun required humansacrifices in order to rise each day
Heavy taxes and many revolts
Priests developed complex calendars
Priests performed rituals designedto please the many Aztec gods
Chinampas: Floating gardens
IncasBy 1500, their empire stretchedfor almost 2,500 miles along thewest coast of South America
The center of the Incan empirewas the magnificent capital atCuzco located high in the Andes
Cuzco was a holy city to the Incas
The emperor was known as theSapa Inca and was regarded asa god who descended from thesun god
IncasMore than 10 million people
Well organized
System of roads coveringmore than 10,000 miles
Skilled engineers
Created terraces:wide steps of land cutout of steep mountainsides
Superior MilitarySpanish:
• Protected by steel armor• Had guns• Spanish soldiers mounted on horses
Aztecs & Incas:
• Clubs• Bows and arrows• Spears
Scared of Spanish
Aztec sacred writings predicted that a powerful white-skinned god would come from the east to rule the Aztecs
Moctezuma hearddisturbing reportsof a large housefloating on the sea
Astonishingnewcomersriding horses
Aztecs hesitated to attack at first because they thought the Spanish might be gods
Weak From Fighting
Incas were weak from fighting amongthemselves over control of their government
European Diseases
Chickenpox
Measles
Influenza
Disease alone may have ensuredSpanish victory over the Indians
Ponce De Leon
Traveled through parts of FloridaIn 1513 , looking for a legendaryFountain of Youth
Found no such fountain
Looked for Fountain of YouthJuan Ponce de Leon
Legendary
Indians claimed that anyone who bathed in itsmagical water would remain young forever.
De Soto
From 1539 to 1542, HernandoDe Soto explored Florida andother parts of the Southeast
Search for gold
Reached the Mississippi River
Died along the riverbank withoutfinding the riches he sought
Reached Mississippi River
From 1539 to 1542, HernandoDe Soto explored Florida andother parts of the Southeast
Search for gold
Reached the Mississippi River
Died along the riverbank withoutfinding the riches he sought
CoronadoConquistador: Francisco Coronado
Heard legends about “seven cities of gold”
In 1540, he ledan expeditioninto Arizonaand New Mexicoas far as theGrand Canyon
Explored BorderlandsSpanish search for treasure
Moved north
Spanned present-day US from Florida to California
Largely Unsuccessful
Ponce de Leon did not finda Fountain of Youth in Florida
Panfilo Narvaez and others werelost at sea after a storm struckhis fleet in the Gulf of Mexico
De Soto died along the MississippiRiver without finding the riches he sought
Strong Indian resistance in the north
New SpainEstablished in 1535
The Spanish king put a viceroyin charge to rule in his name
A code called the Laws of theIndies stated how New Spainshould be organized and ruled.
Three kinds of settlements:pueblos, presidios, missions
Included The Borderlands
Peru
Established in 1535
The Spanish king put a viceroyin charge to rule in his name
A code called the Laws of theIndies stated how Peru shouldbe organized and ruled.
Laws of the IndiesIn 1535, the king of Spain divided hisAmerican lands into New Spain & Peru
Stated how the colonies of New Spainand Peru should be organized and ruled
The king of Spain set up a strongsystem of government to rule hisgrowing empire
The king put a viceroy in charge ofeach region to rule in his name
The code provided for three kinds ofsettlements in New Spain:pueblos, presidios, and missions
Also set up a strict social system
Pueblos
Towns in New Spain
Centers of farmingand trade
Plaza, or public square, in the middle
Shops and homes lined the four sidesof the plaza
Presidios
Forts where soldiers livedin New Spain
High, thick walls
Inside were shops, stables,and storehouses for food
Soldiers protected thefarmers who settled nearby
First presidio in the borderlandswas built in 1565 at St. Augustine, Florida
MissionsReligious settlements run byCatholic priests and friars
Often forced Indians to liveand work on the missions
Like other Europeans in theAmericas, the Spanish believedthey had a duty to convert theIndians to Christianity
Missionaries gradually spreadacross the Spanish borderlands
Social Classes
The Laws of the Indies setup a strict social system
People in Spanish colonies weredivided into four social classes:
1. Peninsulares2. Creoles3. Mestizos4. Native Americans
Peninsulares
Top of the social scale
People born in Spain
Held the highest jobs ingovernment and church
Owned large tracts of landas well as rich gold andsilver mines
Creoles
People born in the Americasto Spanish parents
Many were wealthy and welleducated
Owned farms and ranches,taught at universities, andpracticed law
Could not hold the jobs thatwere reserved for thepeninsulares
Mestizos
Mixed Spanish and Indian background
Worked on farms andranches owned bypeninsulares & creoles
Carpenters, shoemakers,tailors, and bankers
Native AmericansLowest class in Spanish colonies
Treated as conquered people
Kept in poverty for hundreds of years
Spanish government gave settlersencomiendas which were land grantsthat included the right to demandlabor or taxes from Native Americans
Forced to work on ranches, farms,and in gold & silver mines
Death due to hunger, disease, and mistreatment
African SlavesSeeking to protect Native Americans Americans, Bartolome De Las Casas suggested Africans be brought as slaves to replace forced Indian laborers
Less likely to die from European diseases
Used to doing hardfarm work in theirhomeland
Atlantic slave trade:The trade of enslavedAfricans across theAtlantic to Americas
Vast majority camefrom West Africa
African Slaves
The European demand for African slave labor grew rapidly, not only in New Spain, but elsewhere in the Americas(Caribbean islands, Brazil, British colonies in N. America)
Plantations:Large estates farmedby many workers
Key part ofcolonial economy
Blend of Cultures
A new way of life took shape in New Spainthat blended Spanish and Indian ways
Spanish Influences
Spanish settlers brought their own culture to the colonies
Introduced their language, laws, religion, and learning
Native American Influences
Colonists adopted Indian foods
Colonists adopted Indian clothing(poncho and moccasins)
Indian workers used materialsthey knew well (adobe bricks) tobuild libraries, theatres, churches
Indian artists decorated churchwalls with paintings of local traditions
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