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