1. Lesson 1- Spanish Colonization and New Spain
Essential Question: Why do people move?
Topic 2
Lesson 1- Spanish Colonization and New Spain

2. Guiding Questions-
How did Spanish conquistadors defeat two American Indian empires?
Why did Spain settle its colonies?
What were the causes and effects of the transatlantic slave trade?

3. The Conquistadors
Spanish explorers in search of God, glory, and gold (the 3 G’s)
Given permission by Spanish rulers to establish settlements as long as they gave Spain 1/5 of any gold or treasure they captured.
Hernando Cortés
1. Spanish explorer seeking gold and glory.
2. Heard rumors of a very wealthy American Indian empire in Mexico.
3. Set sail for Mexico in 1519.
D. Moctezuma (mok tuh ZOO muh) was an Aztec emperor.
1. Believed in Aztec myth of a white-skinned god coming from the east to rule the Aztecs.
2. Spanish were approaching Tenochtitlán (tay nawch teet LAHN), the Aztec capital (now Mexico City).
3. Moctezuma welcomed the visitors as guests.

4. E. Cortés took advantage of Moctezuma’s invitation.
1. Already won support of anti-Aztec tribes.
2. November 8, Cortés marched into Tenochtitlán.
3. Thousands of Aztecs turned out to watch the newcomers riding horses.
4. Began as a friendly exchange, but soon captured the Aztec leader and made him a prisoner.
5. Tensions mounted in the city for the next year and half.
6. Finally, the Aztecs drove out the Spanish; Victory was brief.
7. In the end, the Spanish destroyed the city and Moctezuma was killed.
8. Aztec empire falls.

5. F. Francisco Pizarro set his sights on the Incan empire.
1. Sailed down Pacific coast of South America with fewer than 200 Spanish soldiers.
, captured the Incan emperor Atahualpa (ah tuh WAHL puh) and later executed him.
3. Without leadership, the Incan resistance collapsed.
4. By 1535, he controlled much of the Incan empire.
G. Spanish were able to conquer great empires with few soldiers due to- -superior military equipment -American Indians didn’t fight as hard as they might have (thought they might be gods, Incans were weak from fighting among themselves) -Many Indians died from diseases such as smallpox, influenza, and measles. nk you

6. II. Spanish Explore Lands to the North
A. Conquered the Spanish borderlands: present-day southern United States to California.
B. Juan Ponce de León traveled through parts of Florida in 1513, searching for the legendary “fountain of youth.”
1. Indians claimed it made you young forever.
2. No such fountain was found.
C. From , Hernando de Soto explored Florida and other parts of the Southeast.
1. Reached Mississippi River.
2. Died along riverbank without finding riches.
D. Francisco Coronado heard tales of the “seven cities of gold.”
led expedition into southwestern borderlands, traveling to present-day Arizona and New Mexico.
2. Some of the party went as far as the Grand Canyon.
3. Found no gold.
E. Spanish gave up on borderlands and instead focused on bringing order to the empire in the south.

7. III. Colonizing New Spain
A. Conquistadors set up colonies in many parts of the Americas for 3 main reasons.
1) Search for wealth. Settlements provided a base from which they could explore, farm, and trade.
2) Spread Christianity by converting the native people.
3) Satisfy a thirst for adventure and exploration.
B. Spain let the conquistadors govern the land they conquered until the conquistadors proved to be poor leaders.
C. King of Spain took away their authority.
1. Set up a strong system of government to rule growing empire.
, divided the American lands into New Spain (northern borderlands) and Peru.
3. Put a viceroy in charge of each region to rule in his name.
D. A set of laws called the “Law of the Indies” stated how the colonies should be organized and ruled.
1. Provided for 3 kinds of settlements in New Spain: pueblos, presidios, and missions.

8. E. Spanish settlements
1. Pueblos (or towns) were centers of farming and trade.
a) Middle of town had a plaza, or public square.
b) Shops and homes lined the four sides of the plaza.
c) Took control of Indian pueblos and built new towns as well.
2. Presidios were forts where soldiers lived.
a) High, thick walls contained shops, stables, and storehouses.
b) St. Augustine was the first permanent European settlement in what is now Florida.
1. Marked beginning of colonization in the future territory of the United States.
F. Like most Europeans in the Americas, Spanish believed they had a duty to convert Indians to Christianity.
1. Set up missions, run by Catholic priests and friars, who often forced Indians to live and work on the missions.
2. Missions gradually spread across the Spanish borderlands, often encountering Indian resistance.
3. First mission in Texas was founded in 1659 at El Paso.

9. IV. Social Classes of New Spain
A. Peninsulares-
1. Highest social class.
2. Born and raised in Spain.
3. Held highest jobs in government and Church.
4. Owned large tracts of land as well as rich gold and silver mines.
B. Creoles
1. Beneath peninsulares.
2. Born in the Americas to parents of Spanish origin.
3. Many were wealthy and well educated.
4. Owned farms and ranches, taught at universities, and practiced law.
5. Could not hold jobs reserved for peninsulares.
C. Mestizos
1. Beneath creoles.
2. Mixed Spanish and Indian background.
3. Worked on farms and ranches owned by peninsulares and creoles; in the cities worked as carpenters, shoemakers, tailors, and bakers.
4. Became the largest class of people.

10. D. Indians
1. Lowest class
2. Kept in poverty for hundreds of years by the Spanish.
3. Encomiendas , or settlers, used them as workers for large farms as part of the agreement with the Spanish government.
4. Also used as miners in gold and silver mines. Many died when caves collapsed.
5. Bartolomé de Las Casas - Priest traveling through New Spain who witnessed the deaths of Indians due to hunger, disease, and mistreatment.
a) Traveled to Europe and asked the king of Spain to protect the Indians’ rights.
b) In 1540s, royal government passed laws prohibiting the enslavement of American Indians. Also allowed Indians to own cattle and grow crops.
c) Few officials in New Spain enforced the laws.

11. V. The Transatlantic Slave Trade
A. Rise in deaths of American Indians created a severe shortage of workers.
B. Spanish colonists looked across the ocean for a new source of labor.
C. In trying to protect the Indians, Bartolomé de Las Casas suggested bringing Africans to replace the slave laborers.
1. Argued that the Africans were much less likely to die of European diseases.
2. Claimed they would suffer less because they were used to hard labor.
3. In many places in Africa, slavery had existed for centuries. Used as punishment for crimes.
4. After Americas were colonized, Africans began to capture and enslave people and sell them to European traders.
5. Before he died, Las Casas came to regret his suggestion.
D. Most Africans who settled in the Americas did so against their will.
E. Became a key part of colonial economy.

12. F. Demand for slave labor grew rapidly.
1. Were especially valued on sugar plantations in the West Indies and in Brazil.
2. Would work all night cutting sugar to be sold in Europe at large profit.
G. Europeans transported more than 10 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean between 1500s & 1800s, with the majority coming from West Africa.