Spanish Colonization of the New World

Factors Motivating the Spanish WEALTH POWER & GLORY EXPAND BOUNDARIES SPREAD RELIGION

Treaty of Tordesillas - 1494 Settled dispute of claims to the lands discovered in the New World between Spain and Portugal. Spain got everything to the West of the line, thus giving them a strong claim in the new world Portugal was angry and renegotiated the original treaty- colonize only parts of Brazil

Spanish Exploration Columbus Balboa Cortes Pizarro De Leon De Soto Coronado Vespucci

The Conquistadors Spanish soldiers who came to the New World to help conquer and settle the Americas for Spain. Some of their methods were harsh and brutal especially to the Native American population. Hernan Cortes Conquers Aztecs – 1521 Francisco Pissarro Conquers Incas - 1532

Spanish Claims Caribbean Islands (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, etc.) parts of South America Mexico and Central America Florida and the southwestern United States “New Spain”

Spanish Missions The Catholic faith was strongly supported by Spain The first Spanish settlements were established as Roman Catholic missions, fortified churches where Native Americans worked to make a profit for the Spanish. Examples: St. Augustine (oldest city in the U.S) and Santa Fe These missions helped the Spanish to hold onto their claims which they wanted for economic reasons. However, many Spanish missionaries also converted the native people, or convinced them to change their beliefs. Most conquistadors traveled with a priest.

Mercantilism The goal of these settlements as from Spain to make money from their colonies so they practiced mercantilism. Mercantilism was an economic policy by which the mother country tried to gain as much gold and silver as possible through trade with their colonies. By importing the natural resources that were plentiful in the New World and by exporting goods from the mother country to the colonies, they hoped to become economically stronger than their European rivals.

The Spanish Economy Established plantations, large farms, on Caribbean islands Grew sugarcane, tobacco, coffee,indigo, cocoa, cotton, and other crops  Most wealth came from Silver & Gold mines in Central and South America Tons of silver found in Bolivia- More silver was mined over the next hundred years, than had existed in all of Europe up to that time Both required manual labor= need for slaves

The Encomienda System 1. Spanish practice of securing an adequate and cheap labor supply = FEUDALISM “granted” to deserving subjects of the King 2. Conquistador controlled Indian populations Required Indians to pay tribute from their lands Indians often rendered personal services as well. 3. In return the conquistador was obligated to protect his wards instruct them in the Christian faith defend their right to use the to live off the land 4. Encomienda system eventually decimated Indian population. 5. The King prevented the encomienda with the New Laws (1542) and the system gradually died out.

The Colonial Class System Peninsulares European (Spanish) Born Creoles European Ancestry Born in the New World Mestizos European and Indian mixture Mulattos European and African mixture Native Indians African Slaves

Bartolome de las Casas Catholic priest Believed Native Americans had been treated harshly by the Spanish and spoke out against it Believed the natives could be educated and converted to Christianized. Believed Indian culture was advanced as European but in different ways. Helped get rid of the encomienda system

The Decline of Spain’s Power Inflation caused by imported gold and silver Defeat of the Spanish Armada by the British (1588) Revolutions to overthrow Spanish control because of rigid social system