Lesson 2: Spain Builds and American Empire Unit 2: The Age of Exploration and the Atlantic World (1400 – 1800)

The Voyages of Columbus Aug. 3 – Oct. 12,1492 Landed in the Bahamas (San Salvador) and claimed them for Spain. He called the Taino “los indios” or indians. Early 1493 he returned to Spain; he made three more voyages by 1503 and carried soldiers and citizens to begin colonization.

Other Explorers’ Discoveries 1500 – Pedro Cabral (Portugal) claims Brazil – Amerigo Vespucci (Portugal) explores N.E. Brazil (1507 America named for him by German mapmaker) – Vasco Balboa (Spain) – Through Panama and was first to see Pacific Ocean – Ponce de Leon (Spain) explored Florida.

Ferdinand Magellan Goes Around the World – Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese for Spain) – Sailed around the world. 5 Ships and 268 men. Disease and starvation devastated the crew. Magellan was killed in the Philippines. Only 18 men survived to complete the journey.

Spain Conquers Mexico (1519) Hernando Cortez landed in Mexico looking for wealth. He was the first conquistador or “conqueror.” He led a force of 600 men & 16 horses to Tenochtitlan – the Aztec capital city - after several weeks of marching.

How did Cortez Defeat the Aztecs? Montezuma II believed Cortez was a god (1519 – The Year of Quetzalcoatl). Surprise attack in 1520 during a festival (Aztecs countered and drove him back). Cortez built alliances with tribes that hated harsh Aztec customs. Spain had superior weaponry. Diseases – smallpox, measles, & mumps – 24 million died by 1605!

Spain Conquers Peru 1532 – Francisco Pizarro and 200 ambushed the Incas & captured Atahualpa their ruler. He paid ransom of 1 room full of gold & 2 with silver (24 tons) but they killed him anyway. The Incas were in the midst of a civil war – Pizarro captured Cuzco, the capital, without a fight.

Other Spanish Conquests The Spanish also conquered the Mayans in the Yucatan of Mexico. Francisco Coronado ( ) explored the SW U.S. & discovered the Grand Canyon. He found little gold and priests were assigned to colonize the new lands which became New Mexico (TX, AZ, NM, OK, & KN). Santa Fe, NM was the first Christian mission in the SW.

Organization of the Spanish Empire 5 Provinces (New Spain & Peru were most important) ruled by a viceroy appt. by the King of Spain, but Council of Indies met in Spain and made laws. Encomiendas – grants that allowed peninsulares (Sp. Settlers) to tax and/or force Indians to labor. They promised fair treatment, but many were abused and worked to death in mines & on farms. Because most peninsulares were male mixed marriages became common and yielded many mestizos.

African Slavery and Native Resistance Spanish priests like Bartolome de Las Casas spoke out against harsh treatment of Indians in Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies. Encomienda system abolished in Las Casas ironically did endorse African slavery instead of Indian slavery. The Portuguese in Brazil found little gold & silver and grew sugar instead. They used African slaves to clear forests and harvest the cane.