Unit 1: European Colonization of America

Unit 1:European Colonization of America Lesson 3: Conquistadors

Conquistadors

Standards • Strand: History • Topic: Colonization to Independence • European countries established colonies in North America as a means of increasing wealth and power. As the English colonies developed their own governments and economies, they resisted domination by the monarchy, rebelled and fought for independence. • Content Statement: 2 • North America, originally inhabited by American Indians, was explored and colonized by Europeans for economic and religious reasons.

Essential Question • What were the economic and religious reasons for Europeans (the Spanish) coming to North and South America?

Effects of the Reconquista • During the Reconquista in Spain, (fighting with the Moors of N. Africa) there was constant war. • This created a class of warriors that had little land or money. • When the Reconquista ended, these soldiers were out of work. • Many Spanish soldiers chose to move to the Americas to seek fortune and fame.

Conquistadores • Conquistadores – Spanish soldiers who led military expeditions in the Americas. • Hernán Cortés – Spanish conquistador sent to present-day Mexico in 1519.

He heard stories of a wealthy land ruled by King Moctezuma. • He wanted to find Moctezuma and capture him and his treasure in the name of the King of Spain. • Traveled with around 600 armed soldiers, 16 horses, and war dogs.

Kingdom of the Aztec • Moctezuma II (aka Montezuma)- King of the Aztec Empire • Rich civilization was made up of millions of people with thousands of warriors. • While he had many warriors, his people had never seen horses and had no guns.

Cortés’ Plan • Cortés hoped his superior weapons, horses, and war dogs would frighten the Aztecs and bring him victory.

Moctezuma’s Response • Moctezuma sent Cortés gifts of gold and other valuables to try and keep him away from the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán. • The signs of wealth only encouraged Cortés and increased his greed.

Cortés and Moctezuma • Moctezuma was friendly to the Spanish, but Cortés took him prisoner and captured the city. • The Aztec rebelled and fought back against the Spanish. • The outnumbered Spanish suffered heavy losses. • During the battle of Tenochtitlán, Moctezuma was wounded and died shortly after.

The Spanish fought the Aztec for several months. • Cortés gathered thousands of soldiers from other American Indian groups and equipped his fleet with cannons. • The city was destroyed shortly after. • Cortés conquered a territory larger than Spain.

Effects on the Aztec • After the capital fell, other towns soon fell to Cortés and his men. • Hundreds of thousands of Aztec also began to die from Spanish diseases such as smallpox. • These losses and the spread of disease led to the fall of the Aztec empire.

Francisco Pizarro • News of Cortés’ success and fortune inspired other conquistadores. • Francisco Pizarro was a conquistador who heard of Cortés’ success and wanted to become rich and famous as well. • Pizarro heard rumors of golden cities in the mountains of South America. • In 1531, Pizarro landed with a small army on the coast of present-day Peru.

Pizarro and the Inca • Pizarro soon reached the Incan Empire. • It stretched from present-day Chile to Colombia.

The Inca leader, Atahualpa (ah-ta-wall-pa) heard about Pizarro and his men but he was not afraid • Pizarro only had around 200 men compared to the thousands of the Inca

Factors against the Inca • The Inca could not compete with the Spanish invaders’ swords and guns • Smallpox also killed tens of thousands of Inca • The Inca also were involved in a civil war with forces led by Atahualpa’s half-brother.

Fall of the Inca • Pizarro arranged a meeting with Atahualpa. • Pizarro lured Atahualpa and his men to the feast, and then opened fire on the unarmed Inca. • He then kidnapped Atahualpa and tried to force him to convert to Christianity.

Cont’d • While holding him captive, Pizarro made plans to gain power over the Inca • He then ransomed Atahualpa for Incan gold and silver • For Atahualpa’s safe return, the Inca delivered 24 tons of gold and silver to Pizarro. • Instead of freeing him, Pizarro killed Atahualpa. • Pizarro then joined with several Inca rebel leaders, and eventually conquered the Inca Empire.

Background • Conquistadors had conquered a huge territory for Spain. • After mid 1500’s, Spain’s American empire was larger than that of any other European nation. • Spain ran into the problem of trying to control an empire across the Atlantic ocean

Spanish Empire • Spain ruled its American empire through a system of royal officials. • The Council of the Indies was formed to govern the Americas from Spain • The Council appointed two viceroys • The Viceroyalty of Peru • Most of South America • The Viceroyalty of New Spain • Central America and Mexico

Spanish Empire • Most of the local officials were not carefully watched • The empire was so large it was difficult to oversee everything that happened. • The people in Spanish America lived in the old Aztec and Inca Empires • These lands were full with gold and silver mines • This gold and silver would be shipped back to Spain

Ruling New Spain • There were three kinds of settlements in New Spain • Pueblos - trading posts and centers of government • Formed on the sites of American Indian villages • Missions – Religious community built around a church • Used to convert local American Indians to Catholicism • Presidios – Military forts • Used to protect the towns and missions

Ruling New Spain • Orders from King Phillip II of Spain also declared that Christianity should be spread through the Native population • The natives should also be taught Spanish customs and ways of life.

Life in New Spain • Many settlers relied heavily on the labor of American Indians • Spain established the encomienda (en-com-e-enda) system • This gave Spanish settlers the right to tax local American Indians or to make them work • In exchange, these settlers were to protect and teach local American Indians

Life in New Spain • The settlers also were expected to convert the native Americans to Christianity • The native Americans were treated like slaves, being forced to grow crops, work in mines, and herd cattle • Many of the native Americans died because of harsh working conditions • The natives also were continuing to die because of Spanish disease. • In response to these deaths, the Spanish started to bring in enslaved Africans in order to work on plantations.

Colonial Society/Social Classes • By 1650 the Spanish Empire in America contained between 3 and 4 million people • American Indians made up about 80% of the population • Spanish law divided society into classes based on birthplace and race

Social Classes- highest to lowest • Peninsulares- were white Spaniards born in Spain • Held the highest government offices in New Spain • Criollos(cree -o-yo-s)– people born in the Americas to Spanish parents • Mestizos – Had both Spanish and American Indian parents • Often worked for criollos as laborers or craftspeople • Largest group of people of European descent • American Indians had only limited legal protection • Enslaved Africans had little or no legal protection

Unit 1: European Colonization of America