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)