Unit 1:European Colonization

of AmericaLesson 3: Conquistadors

Conquistadors

Standards

Strand: History

Topic: Colonization to Independence

European countries established colonies in North America as a means of increasing wealth and power. As the English colonies developed their own governments and economies, they resisted domination by the monarchy, rebelled and fought for independence.

Content Statement: 2

North America, originally inhabited by American Indians, was explored and colonized by Europeans for economic and religious reasons.

Essential Question

What were the economic and religious reasons for Europeans (the Spanish) coming to North and South America?

Effects of the Reconquista

During the Reconquista in Spain, (fighting with the Moors of N. Africa) there was constant war.o This created a class of warriors that had little land or

money. When the Reconquista ended, these soldiers were out

of work. Many Spanish soldiers chose to move to the Americas

to seek fortune and fame.

Conquistadores

Conquistadores – Spanish soldiers who led military expeditions in the Americas.

Hernán Cortés – Spanish conquistador sent to present-day Mexico in 1519.

o He heard stories of a wealthy land ruled by King Moctezuma.

o He wanted to find Moctezuma and capture him and his treasure in the name of the King of Spain.

o Traveled with around 600 armed soldiers, 16 horses, and war dogs.

Kingdom of the Aztec

Moctezuma II (aka Montezuma)- King of the Aztec Empire

o Rich civilization was made up of millions of people with thousands of warriors.

o While he had many warriors, his people had never seen horses and had no guns.

Cortés’ Plan

Cortés hoped his superior weapons, horses, and war dogs would frighten the Aztecs and bring him victory.

Moctezuma’s Response

Moctezuma sent Cortés gifts of gold and other valuables to try and keep him away from the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán.

The signs of wealth only encouraged Cortés and increased his greed.

Cortés and Moctezuma

Moctezuma was friendly to the Spanish, but Cortés took him prisoner and captured the city.

The Aztec rebelled and fought back against the Spanish.

The outnumbered Spanish suffered heavy losses.

During the battle of Tenochtitlán, Moctezuma was wounded and died shortly after.

The Spanish fought the Aztec for several months.

Cortés gathered thousands of soldiers from other American Indian groups and equipped his fleet with cannons.

The city was destroyed shortly after.

Cortés conquered a territory larger than Spain.

Effects on the Aztec

After the capital fell, other towns soon fell to Cortés and his men.

Hundreds of thousands of Aztec also began to die from Spanish diseases such as smallpox.

These losses and the spread of disease led to the fall of the Aztec empire.

Francisco Pizarro

News of Cortés’ success and fortune inspired other conquistadores.

Francisco Pizarro was a conquistador who heard of Cortés’ success and wanted to become rich and famous as well.

Pizarro heard rumors of golden cities in the mountains of South America.

In 1531, Pizarro landed with a small army on the coast of present-day Peru.

Pizarro and the Inca

Pizarro soon reached the Incan Empire.

It stretched from present-day Chile to Colombia.

The Inca leader, Atahualpa (ah-ta-wall-pa) heard about Pizarro and his men but he was not afraid

o Pizarro only had around 200 men compared to the thousands of the Inca

Factors against the Inca

The Inca could not compete with the Spanish invaders’ swords and guns

Smallpox also killed tens of thousands of Inca

The Inca also were involved in a civil war with forces led by Atahualpa’s half-brother.

Fall of the Inca

Pizarro arranged a meeting with Atahualpa.

Pizarro lured Atahualpa and his men to the feast, and then opened fire on the unarmed Inca.

He then kidnapped Atahualpa and tried to force him to convert to Christianity.

Cont’d

While holding him captive, Pizarro made plans to gain power over the Inca

He then ransomed Atahualpa for Incan gold and silver

For Atahualpa’s safe return, the Inca delivered 24 tons of gold and silver to Pizarro.

Instead of freeing him, Pizarro killed Atahualpa.

Pizarro then joined with several Inca rebel leaders, and eventually conquered the Inca Empire.

Background

Conquistadors had conquered a huge territory for Spain.

After mid 1500’s, Spain’s American empire was larger than that of any other European nation.

Spain ran into the problem of trying to control an empire across the Atlantic ocean

Spanish Empire

Spain ruled its American empire through a system of royal officials.

The Council of the Indies was formed to govern the Americas from Spain

o The Council appointed two viceroys The Viceroyalty of Peru

Most of South America The Viceroyalty of New Spain

Central America and Mexico

Spanish Empire

Most of the local officials were not carefully watchedo The empire was so large it was difficult to oversee

everything that happened.

The people in Spanish America lived in the old Aztec and Inca Empires

These lands were full with gold and silver mineso This gold and silver would be shipped back to Spain

Ruling New Spain

There were three kinds of settlements in New Spaino Pueblos - trading posts and centers of government

Formed on the sites of American Indian villageso Missions – Religious community built around a

church Used to convert local American Indians to

Catholicismo Presidios – Military forts

Used to protect the towns and missions

Ruling New Spain

Orders from King Phillip II of Spain also declared that Christianity should be spread through the Native populationo The natives should also be taught Spanish customs and

ways of life.

Life in New Spain

Many settlers relied heavily on the labor of American Indians

Spain established the encomienda (en-com-e-enda) systemo This gave Spanish settlers the right to tax local American

Indians or to make them worko In exchange, these settlers were to protect and teach local

American Indians

Life in New Spain

The settlers also were expected to convert the native Americans to Christianity

The native Americans were treated like slaves, being forced to grow crops, work in mines, and herd cattle

Many of the native Americans died because of harsh working conditions

The natives also were continuing to die because of Spanish disease.

In response to these deaths, the Spanish started to bring in enslaved Africans in order to work on plantations.

Colonial Society/Social Classes By 1650 the Spanish Empire in America contained

between 3 and 4 million people

o American Indians made up about 80% of the population

Spanish law divided society into classes based on birthplace and race

Social Classes- highest to lowest

o Peninsulares- were white Spaniards born in Spain Held the highest government offices in New Spain

o Criollos (cree -o-yo-s)– people born in the Americas to Spanish parents

o Mestizos – Had both Spanish and American Indian parents Often worked for criollos as laborers or craftspeople Largest group of people of European descent

American Indians had only limited legal protection

Enslaved Africans had little or no legal protection

Peninsulares

Criollos

Mestizos

American Indians