Spain in America Chapter 3, Lesson 3

Spanish Conquistadors ► Stories of gold, silver, and rich kingdoms attracted conquistadors to the Americas. ► Conquistador – Spanish explorers who received grants from Spanish rulers.  Could explore and establish settlements.  Had to give up 1/5 of any gold or treasure discovered to Spain. ► This allowed expeditions with little risk.  If a conquistador failed, the conquistador lost more than Spain.  If successful, both would become rich.

CortésConquers the Aztec Cortés Conquers the Aztec ► Hernán Cortés landed in what is now Mexico in 1519 in search of gold and glory  500 soldiers, some horses, and a few cannons. ► Heard of the Aztecs and their capital of Tenochtitlan. ► Aztecs conquered many cities and forced them to give tribute.  Tributes included crops, clothing, gold and precious stones. ► Cortés would form alliances with nearby cities to take on the Aztecs.

Cortés Conquers the Aztec ► Montezuma (Aztec Emperor) invited Cortés into the city hoping to learn their weakness and crush his enemy. ► Cortés would take Montezuma prisoner instead. ► In 1520, the Aztec rebelled and forced the Spanish to leave Tenochtitlan.  Montezuma was struck by a rock and killed.  Cortés would return in 1521, with more troops and take it back, disintegrating the Empire and would gain control of the region.

Cortés Conquers the Aztec Hernán Cortés

Pizarro Conquers Peru ► Francisco Pizarro sailed down the Pacific coast of South America in search of the wealthy Inca Empire. ► In 1532, Atahualpa (Inca Ruler) was captured, and much of the empire was destroyed.  Falsely accused Atahualpa of crimes the and executed him the next year. ► Inca were used to following the orders of their leader and were not weakened.  Within a few years controlled most of the empire.

Pizarro Conquers Peru Francisco PizzaroMontezuma

Why Spain Succeeded ► How did they succeed with only a few hundred Spanish soldiers? ► Strange Weapons  Guns and Cannons ► Fearsome Animals.  Horses, and ferocious dogs. ► Many Natives hated the Aztec and were happy to assist overthrowing them ► Diseases such as smallpox.

Spain in North America ► With their success in Central and South America they begin exploring to the north.  southeastern and southwestern parts of North America. ► Juan Ponce de León landed in what is present-day Florida in  Hoped to find gold and the Fountain of Youth. ► In 1565, he set up the first Spanish settlement (St. Augustine) in what is now the United States.

Spain in North America Juan Ponce de León

The Seven Cities of Cibola ► Many Conquistadors were never successful in their search for gold. ► Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca was part of a Spanish Expedition to Florida in  Lead by Pánfilo de Narváez they sailed along the coast to Mexico after finding trouble in Florida.  In November of 1528 they would be caught in a terrible storm, and would lose 3 of their 5 boats with the other two running aground on an island near present-day Texas.

The Seven Cities of Cibola ► After a few months only a few would still survive. ► In order to survive, Cabeza De Vaca and an enslaved African named Estevanico became medicine men.  Their method of healing was to, “Bless the sick, breathing on them and reciting latin prayers.  Eventually makes a 1000 mile journey across the Southwest.  He would arrive in Mexico in 1536 telling stories of a city he had heard about with emerald walls and streets of gold. (Oz?)

The Seven Cities of Cibola ► The stories would inspire Hernando de Soto.  Would explore much of the southeastern area of present day United States.  Took advantage of native people by capturing their chief and demanding for food and supplies in return.  Crossed the Mississippi River in 1541, describing it as, “swift and very deep.”  After making it as far as present-day Oklahoma, De Soto died of a fever and was buried in the waters of the Mississippi.

The Seven Cities of Cibola ► Francisco Vázquez de Coronado also wanted to find the Seven Cities. ► Explored Northern Mexico and present-day Arizona and New Mexico and reached a town belonging to the Zuni people.  Immediately new their was no gold and headed west to the Colorado River into what is now Kansas. ► Found nothing but “windswept plains” and “shaggy cows” (buffalo).  Disappointed, he returned to Mexico.

The Seven Cities of Cibola Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca Pánfilo de Narváez Hernan de Soto Francisco Vázquez de Coronado

Spanish Rule ► Spanish law called for three different kinds of settlements:  Pueblos – Established as centers of trade.  Missions – Religious communities that included a small town, surrounding farmland, and a church.  Presidio – Fort, usually built near a Mission. ► Juan de Oñate was sent to gain control of lands to the north and convert inhabitants.  In 1598, he founded the province of New Mexico and introduced cattle and horse to the Pueblo people.

Social Class A class system developed in Spain’s empire: ► Peninsulares – Born in Spain, owned land, served in the church, and ran local government. ► Creoles – Born in the Americas to Spanish parents. ► Mestizos – People with Spanish and Native American Parents. ► Native Americans ► African Slaves

Social Class ► Encomienda – the right to demand taxes or labor from Native Americans.  Essentially made them slaves.  Many died from malnutrition, diseases, and difficult labor. ► Bartolomé de las Casas condemned the cruel treatment.  Pleaded to protect the natives.  Claimed millions had died because the Spanish, “made gold their ultimate aim, seeking to load themselves with riches in the shortest possible time.

Social Class ► Thanks to his reports the Spanish government passed the New Laws, which forbade making slaves of Native Americans.  Although not always enforced, it did correct the worst abuses. Bartolomé de las Casas

The Plantation System ► Some Spanish settlers made huge profits sending back raw materials to Spain.  In the West Indies, the main exports were tobacco and sugarcane. ► To raise the crops they created a plantation system.  Plantation – Large Estate  The Spanish had been using the Native Americans to work the plantations.

The Plantation System ► Las Casas suggested using enslaved Africans, thinking they could endure the labor better.  He would bitterly regret this suggestion later. ► By the mid-1500s the Spanish were bringing thousands from west Africa to the Americas. ► Portugal did the same in Brazil. ► The Africans who survived the long ocean trip were sold to plantation owners and would soon become an essential part of the economy of the colonies.