17.2

Spanish Voyages

Spanish Voyages Spain’s early discoveries were due to haste and blind luck Internal issues distracted Spain until the late 15th century.

Christopher Columbus (1401-1506) Born in Genoa Italy Led 3 voyages of discovery for Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain Sought a western trade route to India

Christopher Columbus (1401-1506) Miscalculated the distance by 5 times. Trained with Portuguese during exploration of Africa Used 3 small ships, the Santa Maria and two caravels the Santa Clara (Nina) and the Pinta Columbus believed he had reached the Indian Ocean.

Amerigo Vespucci Believed Columbus had “discovered a new land.” NOT India Vespucci’s explorations for Spain and Portugal led mapmakers to name the new landmass “America” rather than “Columbia”.

Tordesillas Line 1494 Treaty negotiated by pope that drew line down middle of Atlantic. East of line in Africa and southern Asia could be claimed by Portugal. West in the Americas were reserved for Spain. Cabral’s discovery of Brazil gave Portugal part of South America.

Tordesillas Line

Vasco Nunez de Balboa 1513 led expedition that crossed isthmus of Panama from the east First to sight Pacific Ocean.

Molucca Islands Disputed territory between Spain and Portugal. Source of exotic spices

Ferdinand Magellan 1480-1521 1519 First to sail around the Americas and across the Pacific. First to determine size of Pacific Ocean. Led to Spanish colonization of Philippines in 1564.

Encounters with Europe

Indian Ocean Response to Portuguese Benin- West African Kingdom Oba (king) created a royal monopoly of trade with Portuguese after trip to Portugal. Copper Textiles Glass Beads Horses

Benin limited contacts with Europeans by: Refusing to accept Catholicism Declined offers to send missionaries Ending slave trade After 1538, missionaries and the slave trade in Benin was ended by the oba. His actions demonstrated that the African rulers could control interaction.

Eastern Africa

Congo River Area Relations with Portuguese began similar to Benin. Royal family adopts Catholicism, but lacking trade goods has to rely more on slavery for trade. Manikongo (King of Congo) begins to lose monopoly on slave trade.

1526 Manikongo Alfonso I writes to king requesting help in ending slave trade. Unauthorized groups were kidnapping respectable Africans and selling them to Portuguese. By 1540 slave trade moves further South.

Malindi only Muslim kingdom to welcome da Gamma’s fleet. Eastern Africa Malindi only Muslim kingdom to welcome da Gamma’s fleet. Wanted to increase their trading position. Others questioned religious implication of fleet with the crusader cross on their sails.

Ethiopia Christian kingdom that was attacked by sea in 1529 by Muslim kingdom of Adal because of religious beliefs. Queen Helena requested help from king of Spain Spanish help arrived in 1539 saving the kingdom Ethiopia Encyclopedia - Atom

Portuguese in India First to arrive like Vasco de Gamma were laughed at and greeted coldly. Seen as Christian intruders. Ottomans declare war in 1538 but are quickly defeated by superior Portuguese ships.

Portuguese in India All shipping and trade came under control of Portuguese through conquest. Ports submit to rule or are attacked from the sea by Portuguese warships.

Portuguese in China Main base established in Macao (below Hong Kong) Chinese agreed to open a trade port to increase economic opportunities. Not forced like rest of Indian Ocean regions

The Americas The most profitable and strongest area of colonization by Europe

The Americas Portuguese establish a trading empire like they had in Africa and Asia. Spanish establish a territorial empire. Conquest and plunder become the Spanish goal rather than trade. With more resources, the Spanish take control.

Spanish Conquest Columbus- 1st voyage meets Arawak who are cautious and didn’t want to trade all their gold. Second voyage in 1493 Columbus brings several hundred settlers and missionaries.

Spanish Conquest Settlers steal gold, food and raped native women provoking a war in 1495. More than 10,000 Arawak are slaughtered. Animals like pigs and goats introduced ate crops and caused disease.

Conquistadors Means conquerors. Created a system of colonization and forced labor in Caribbean and South America

Hernan Cortes Leads Spanish from Cuba to mainland in 1519 with 600 soldiers to explore and trade. When he learns of the Aztecs and their gold, he heads towards central Mexico. Will hold 4 advantages over Aztecs:

Aztecs 2/3 of population worked in agriculture. No hard metals Swamps drained Irrigation and container gardens used Invented Chinampas - artificial islands used to create year-round agriculture.

1. Smallpox Animal virus from pigs. First seen in Hispaniola in 1518. Arrives in Mexico in 1519 with Cortes. Lacking immunity, the decrease of native population allows Europeans to easily overpower survivors.

Moctezuma II Aztec king kidnapped by Cortez Treasury looted and eventually killed. Tenochitlan captured in 1520. 2. Cortez is helped by local natives the Tlaxacans, who hated Aztecs.

Moctezuma II 3. Cortez used horses and firearms to scare and overpower larger Aztec force 4. The Aztec empire was relatively young (only 195 years) and had many enemies.

Atahulapa Emperor of Incas By 1520’s smallpox reached Incas before conquistadores.

Francisco Pizarro- Conquistador with 180 men, 37 horses and 2 cannon meets Atahualpa in 1532. Surrounded by 40,000 Inca he abducts the emperor. Uses Cortez’s strategy to defeat a larger force of Inca

Atahualpa offers Pizzaro a room full of silver and gold for his release. When he gets the loot, Pizarro gives Atahualpa a choice- Burning at the stake as a heathen, or be baptized and then strangled. 1533 Spanish take Cuzco. Spanish continue looking for gold in South and North America.

Within 50 years the Spanish had conquered most of the Americas.