The Spanish and Portuguese Americas

How did Spain and Portugal build colonies in the Americas? Spanish settlers and missionaries followed the conquistadors to the new empire in the Americas. They established colonies and imposed their will by force. A new culture merged European, Native American, and African elements. Make sure Question icon is RGB formatted. Slide should animate: • Question icon and text should already be present on slide • Paragraphs below should Fly In; On Click; From Bottom; Fast (1 s) Colored text: blue should be 0 / 102 / 204 (RGB values) Colored text: red should be 255 / 0 / 0 (RGB values)

Spain controlled a huge empire by the mid-1500s. Spain divided its conquered lands in the Americas into four provinces. The king appointed viceroys to rule in the provinces and established the Council of the Indies to monitor them. Map of Spanish empire, WH: p. 485. Note this map appears in the book after Section 2, but I still think it is useful to show students how vast Spanish holdings were. 3

One of Spain’s main goals in the Americas was to spread Christianity. As a result, Church leaders shared authority with royal officials. Missionaries baptized thousands of Native Americans and worked to turn new converts into loyal subjects of Spain. They also built churches, taught the Spanish language, and introduced European clothing and crafts. 4

Spain closely controlled trade throughout its empire. Colonists could export raw material only to Spain. They could buy only Spanish manufactured goods. Trade with other European nations was forbidden by law.

Sugar plantations required a large number of workers. Spanish planters introduced sugar cane to the West Indies. The sugar industry soon became highly profitable. Sugar plantations required a large number of workers. Under the encomienda system, the Spanish could force Native Americans to work in mines and on plantations. Disease, starvation, and brutal conditions contributed to a sharp decline in the Native American population. Decline of Native American population graph, WH: p. 498.

Decline of Native American population graph, WH: p. 498.

A Spanish priest named Bartolomé de Las Casas condemned the encomienda system. He urged the king to end mistreatment of Native Americans. In 1542, Spain passed the New Laws of the Indies, which forbade enslavement of Native Americans. However, many natives were still forced to become peons, or workers forced to labor to pay off debts. Las Casas suggested that Spain fill the labor shortage by importing workers from Africa, who had needed skills and were immune to tropical diseases.

The Spanish first brought Africans to the Americas in the 1530s. Millions were forced to work as slaves in the fields, in mines, and in the households of landowners. European, African, and Native American cultures eventually blended together to form a distinct culture in the Spanish colonies. Clip art handshake

Cultural blending changed people’s lives in the Americas. Food, religion, clothing, dance, songs, styles of building, and farming methods were all part of this exchange. A mixed race colonial family, WH: p. 480. Population of Spanish America, WH: p. 480. A Spanish official in Mexico, his Native American wife, and their daughter.

The cities were lively centers of government, commerce, and cultural expression. Mexico City became the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world by 1550. The University of Mexico was established by 1551. It was the first university in the Americas. Spanish settlers lived in towns and cities and established universities.

Portugal’s claim was based on the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas. Portugal claimed an empire in the east part of South America. They named this land Brazil. Portugal’s claim was based on the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas. In the 1530s, Portugal began issuing grants of land in Brazil to nobles. In return, nobles agreed to develop the land and share profits with the crown. Portuguese colony in Brazil, WH: p. 485.

Unlike the Spanish colonies, Brazil had no rich supplies of silver and gold. Early settlers cut down and exported brazilwood, which was used to produce a valuable dye. Landowners then turned to plantation agriculture and cattle ranching. Brazil depended on forced labor, first from Native Americans and then from enslaved Africans. In time, a Brazilian culture emerged that blended Portuguese, Native American, and African elements.

Smugglers traded illegally with Spanish and Portuguese colonists. Other nations grew jealous of Spain and Portugal’s wealth and power in the Americas. Smugglers traded illegally with Spanish and Portuguese colonists. English, French, and Dutch pirates called privateers plundered treasure ships. Some operated with the approval of their governments. European explorers continued to sail the coasts of the Americas, hunting for riches and a northwest passage to Asia. Pirate clip art.