II.Spanish and Portuguese Colonies in the Americas A.Ruling the Spanish Empire  By the mid 1500s, Spain could claim land from California to South America  Native American, African, and Spanish cultures blended. 1)Governing the Provinces a)Spain was determined to maintain strict control over its empire The king set up the Council of the Indies to pass laws for the colonies He also appointed viceroys to each province. Lesser officials and audiencias (advisory councils of Spanish settlers) helped the viceroy rule. 2)Spreading Christianity a)To Spain, converting people to Christianity was as important as gaining land. The Catholic Church worked with the government to convert Native Americans to Christianity. 1 of 4 The Beginnings of Our Global Age: Europe & the Americas Section 2: Spanish and Portuguese Colonies in the Americas

Church officials often served as royal officials As Spain’s American empire grew, the Church’s authority expanded with it. b)Missionaries baptized thousands of Native Americans They wanted to turn new converts into loyal subjects of the Catholic king of Spain They introduced European clothing, the Spanish language, and new crafts such as carpentry and locksmithing. Where they could, the Spanish missionaries forcibly imposed European culture. 3)Controlling Trade a)The Spanish tightly controlled all economic activities to make the empire profitable, especially trade. The most valuable resources shipped to Spain were gold and silver. 2 of 4 The Beginnings of Our Global Age: Europe & the Americas Section 2: Spanish and Portuguese Colonies in the Americas

Colonists could only… −Export raw materials to Spain −Buy only Spanish manufactured goods Laws forbade colonists from trading with other European nations or even other Spanish colonies When sugar cane was introduced into the West Indies and elsewhere, it became extremely profitable −The sugar cane was grown on plantations that were run by an owner or the owner’s overseer. −The drawback was that large numbers of workers were needed to make the plantation profitable. 4)Encomienda – A System of Forced Labor a)Encomiendas were granted to conquistadors They, in turn, used them to force the Native Americans to work in mines and on plantations. Those who resisted were hunted down and killed −Disease, starvation, and cruel treatment caused a drastic decline in native populations 3 of 4 The Beginnings of Our Global Age: Europe & the Americas Section 2: Spanish and Portuguese Colonies in the Americas

−Once the native populations were too low, Africans were brought in to replace them. 4 of 4 The Beginnings of Our Global Age: Europe & the Americas Section 2: Spanish and Portuguese Colonies in the Americas