Spanish Exploration & Conquest of the Americas REVIEW!!

When and What? – Late 1400’s – Europeans – explored the oceans Why – Primary motive: Europeans wanted faster trade routes to Asia (spices, silk, tea, porcelain)

Specifics Political- Cut out Muslim middleman Economic- No middle man = profits go up Religious- Missionary work Social- Recovery from black death: population increases thus demand for goods increases Intellectual- Renaissance spurred people to learn more about lands beyond Europe. Area – wanted a new route to Asia that bypassed the Med Sea.

HOW? New technology & navigation Better ships (the caravel), improved rudder & sails Astrolabe perfected by Muslims Cartographers made more accurate maps

Who? Portugal and Spain led the way Dias- 1st explorer to round Africa Da gama- voyage to India $$$$$ Magellan- 1519 1st to circumnavigate the globe Columbus -1492 Italian sailing for Spain, landed in the Caribbean Cortes – Conquered the Aztec in 1519 Pizzaro – Conquered the Incan in 1532

How? Military Technology and Disease** Spanish = Horses, muskets and cannons Also Small pox, measles and influenza By early 1600’s, 90% of Native American population wiped out. Native Americans = Arrows and spears …and no immunity to European diseases

The New World – Spanish Colonies Encomienda System – Large plantations granted to conquistadors who demanded labor from the Native Americans BUT – overworking and disease led to labor shortage that led to…

TRIANGLE TRADE

WHY? Africans were thought to be immune to diseases. Middle Passage – middle leg of Triangle trade that brought Africans to the Americas

Social Hierarchy 1. Peninsulares – born in Spain 2. Creoles – American born descendants of Spanish 3. Mestizos – Native American and European 4. Mullato – African and European 5. Native Americans 6. African Slaves “Labor force on Spanish encomiendas”

Columbian Exchange What was it? Impacts Americas Europe and Africa The exchange of goods, plants, animals, and values/ideas that occurred between Europeans, Africans and Americans. Impacts Biggest ex. of cultural diffusion in history New food sources led to population growth in Europe Americas Europe and Africa Corn, tomatos, potatos, coco, beans, peppers, tobacco sugar, Horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, rice, bananas, coffee, diseases, grapes