Latin American: Conquest and Exchange

Latin American Unique qualities Unlike North America, Latin America did not have any unification. Partly because of geography Andes Mountains and Amazon Jungle.

Latin America This is the term used for South America, Central America, and parts of the Caribbean. People from this region are called Latinos. The term was created in the 1800’s to celebrate and separate southern nations from Canada and the US.

The Aztecs, Montezuma, and Cortes The Aztecs were a powerful Native tribe in central Mexico, 1300-1520. They built enormous pyramids where they offered human and animal sacrifices to their gods. Their emperor, Montezuma, led them to expand their empire and conquer other Native People. They were expert farmers and skilled builders. The Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlan, was constructed on islands in a large lake; at the center of the city was a huge temple pyramid used for sacrifices; the population was 400,000.

Aztec City Scene

The Chinampa

Tenochtitlan

Hernan Cortez Montezuma

The Aztecs, Montezuma, and Cortes cont… In 1520, Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes sailed west from Cuba to conquer the Aztecs and claim their land for Spain. Montezuma welcomed Cortes; Cortes had Montezuma captured and killed. Tenochtitlan was destroyed and the stone from the temple was used to build a Christian church in Cortes’s new colony, Mexico City. The language of the Aztecs, Nahuatl, is still spoken by 1.2 million people. Chocolate and tomato are Nahuatl words.

The Incas, Atahualpa, and Pizarro The Incas ruled the Andes Mountains. Their excelled at road construction and metalwork. They mined gold and silver and created entire rooms of these precious metals. They wove cloth with complex patterns and built temples that stand today. The Incas worshipped their emperor as the child of the sun. They conquered other tribes and created an empire 2000 miles long.

Inca City Scene

The Inca Empire

The Incas, Atahualpa, and Pizarro During the reign of Atahualpa, in 1533, the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro led 180 men to conquer the Inca army and capture Atahualpa. The Inca people brought 50,000 pounds of gold to buy his release. Pizarro took the gold and had Atahualpa killed. Without a leader, the Incas were easily conquered by the Spanish. Seven million people still speak Quechua, the language of the Incas.

Francisco Pizarro Atahualpa

Columbian Exchange Christopher Columbus was the first European to meet people on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The exchange of plants, animals, and diseases across the Atlantic from 1492 to 1650 is called the Columbian Exchange.

Columbian Exchange Native People showed Europeans how to grow corn, squash, potatoes, and tomatoes. Native People introduced hot peppers to Europeans; then Europeans introduced hot peppers to India. Native People grew tobacco and cocoa, introducing Europeans to smoking and chocolate. Europeans showed Native People how to grow wheat, oats, sugarcane, and oranges. Europeans introduced Native People to horses. Europeans taught Native People to ride and use horses for farm work. Europeans introduced other domesticated farm animals, such as cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens, to Native People in the New World.

Columbian Exchange Europeans had been exposed to many infectious diseases for centuries. Europeans had developed strong immune systems that could fight against diseases like smallpox and keep Europeans from getting too sick. Native People had never been exposed to European diseases. Their bodies had no resistance to these diseases. As soon as Europeans arrived, Native People caught new diseases from them, became very sick, and died. The main result of Columbian Exchange was this fact: From 50% to 90% of Native People died from European diseases, 1492-1650.

1. What was the main result of the Columbian Exchange?

Diseases! Many of the Aztecs, Incas and other native people of the New World were exposed to small pox and other disease during the Columbian Exchange. Europeans were exposed to diseases, but faired better than the natives. As a result, many Native civilizations were defeated and destroyed because they had low immunity.

Diseases Common Old World Diseases included: Smallpox Measles Malaria Yellow fever Influenza Chicken Pox Common New World Diseases included: Syphilis Polio Hepatitis Encephalitis