1. Spain’s Empire in the Americas
Chapter 2 Section 1
Spain’s Empire in the Americas

2. Remember there is a quiz next class period on this Section
Key Terms and people are in BOLD

3. The Reconquista

4. Conquistadors Who were they?
Conquistadors were explorers who went to the Americas in search of gold and silver
Professional soldiers

5. Cortés and the Aztecs
Hernan Cortés was a conquistador who conquered the Aztec people and set the groundwork for the modern nation of Mexico
Cortés heard of a wealthy empire located on the mainland
(This empire was the Aztec Civilization)
He left Cuba with only 600 soldiers, 17 horses, and ten cannons
Cortés befriended the Nahua people who were old enemies of
the Aztecs

6. Cortés cont.
The Spanish were amazed when they reached the capital city of the Aztecs Tenochtitlán

7. Indian opinions of the Spanish
The Aztec leader Montezuma at first believed Cortés was a God
The Aztec’s saw the Spanish as obsessed with gold
The Aztecs army had around 300,000 troops how were the Spanish
able to conquer Tenochtitlán?
Disease
Allying with the Aztec’s enemies
Fear Factor
Superior Firepower

8. The Spanish Empire Expands
After burning Techotitlan Cortés laid out plans for a new colony of the Spanish Empire called New Spain (Mexico and Central America)
Spanish now have huge amounts of gold and silver
The Spanish set up several systems to ensure they made money and kept control
What was the name of the new capital city?

9. Race in the Spanish Empire
Anyone born in Spain was at the top of the social hierarchy. These men and women were known as peninsulares.
If a person of Spanish descent had a child with an Indian the baby would be known as a mestizo (most Latin Americans classify themselves as mestizo)
At the bottom of the hierarchy were Indians and African slaves.

10. Encomienda System
Under this system the Spanish forced the Indians to work for them usually farming, mining, or ranching.
Land in New Spain was given out by the King of Spain usually as a gift. Any Indians living on that land were the slaves of the owner of the land.

11. Expanding further Juan Ponce de León – Explorer who discovered Florida
The Spanish under Francisco Pizzaro conquered the Incan Empire located in the Andes Mountains
Missionaries traveled to the north of New Spain to convert Indians into the modern U.S.
These missions would be the first European settlements in California, Arizona, and Texas
Named the northern holding New Mexico
Set up the 1,500 mile highway “El Camino Real”

12. Resistance to the Spanish
Missionaries tried to stop Indian ceremonies and rituals
They also forced Indians to pay a tribute to the missions because they were “helping them”
Popé was a Pueblo religious leader who had been punished for practicing his religion
He led a successful revolt that overthrew Spanish control
14 years until they re-took New Mexico

13. Encomienda System forces Indians into slave labor
Aztec and Incan Empires conquered
Huge amounts of Gold and Silver found in New World
Spain established a profitable empire in the Americas
Native peoples die out due to disease and starvation
Society in the colonies has the Spanish at the top
Other European powers start colonizing much later

14. Decline of the Spanish Empire

15. Latin America Today Spanish language Roman Catholic Religion
Architecture
Large Spanish and Mestizo
Populations throughout
Latin America

16. Video Links
Incan Empire
Aztec Religion