Chapter 4 Spain Builds an Empire

The Voyages of Columbus Lesson 1

Christopher Columbus He wanted to find a better way to reach the Indies (part of Asia rich in spices, gold, and other goods). The Silk Road was very difficult and dangerous.

Columbus suggested sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. He needed money to fund his expedition (a journey made for a special purpose).

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella Columbus took his plan to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. They did not agree right away, but he convinced them that he could find a cheaper, faster way to the Indies.

August 3, 1492 Columbus left Spain with 3 ships – Nina – Pinta – Santa Maria

After a month at sea, the sailors feared they would never see home again. They had traveled farther west than they thought possible, and they wanted to turn back. Columbus pushed on.

October 12, 1492 Land was sighted from the Pinta.

Columbus Wrote: “At two hours after midnight, the Pinta fired a cannon, my prearranged signal for the sighting of land.” He claimed the land for the Spanish king and queen. Soon after, some Taino came to greet the Europeans.

Historians believe that Columbus may have reached one of the Bahamas' Islands.

Because he believed that he had reached the Indies, he called the Tainos “Indians.” This name later referred to the native people of the Americas. The Bahama Islands and other islands of the region became known as the West Indies.

Columbus led 3 other expeditions to the Americas. On the second ship in 1493, he took 17 ships loaded with settlers, animals, and other supplies. This goal was to start a colony that would bring profits to Spain. Colony—a settlement far from the country that rules it. Before long, thousands of European settlers were living in the colonies throughout the West Indies.

Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange was a movement of people, animals, plants, diseases, and ways of life between the Eastern Hemisphere and Western Hemisphere.

New Animals in the West Europeans brought – Horses – Cattle – Sheep – Pigs with them to the Western Hemisphere.

New Food in the East In the Eastern Hemisphere, people enjoyed new foods from the Americas, such as – Corn – Potatoes – Tomatoes – Cocoa – beans.

These changes helped the people of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Oops! Not all of these changes were positive. Without knowing it, Europeans also brought disease germs to the Americas. Many Native Americans died because they had no defense against small pox and measles.

Changes In Ways of Life As European colonies took hold in the West Indies, the native people’s ways of life changed. Many were forced to work on large farms growing sugarcane and other crops. Sugarcane is used to make sugar, and growers made huge profits.

Christianity The Spanish also wanted to bring Christianity to the native peoples. They forced many to give up their own beliefs. As a result, the way of life of the Taino, and other native groups of the Caribbean disappeared.

Amerigo Vespucci Amerigo Vespucci became the first person to realize this was a “new world” in 1502.

Others Come Many explorers followed in search of land and riches. They conquered many Native Americans to find them. By the 1600s, explorers and settlers from Spain, Portugal, England, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands had come to the Americas. For hundreds of years, some of these countries fought amongst themselves and Native Americans for control of these lands.

Different Worlds Collide Lesson 2

Montezuma and Hernando Cortés Moctezuma and Cortés knew of each other long before they met in Cortés arrived in Mexico nine months earlier in Cuba. The Spanish had begun establishing colonies on the islands of the Caribbean Sea. Stories of great riches in Mexico encouraged Cortés and other Spaniards to gain some of the Aztecs’ wealth.

Conquistadors Cortés was one of a group of Spanish soldiers who would later be called conquistadors (or conquerors). Bt Cortés faced a major challenge in defeating the Aztecs. His force of about 500 men were greatly outnumbered.

Cortés's Advantages However, Cortés did have a few advantages: – They had metal armor to protect them from the Aztecs’ stone weapons. – Spanish soldiers had muskets (a kind of rifle) which could easily pierce the cloth suits the Aztecs wore. – The conquistadors had horses which the Aztecs had never seen before. They were frightened of the animals.

Cortés’s Allies Cortés also had allies (friends who will help in a fight). The people of Tenochtitlan did not want to live under Aztec rule, and many decided to help Cortés defeat the Aztecs.

Dona Marina One ally was an Aztec woman named Dona Marina (a name she took after becoming a Christian). She spoke several Indian languages and spoke to the native people of Mexico for Cortés. She help Cortés persuade thousands of people to join him. One Spaniard described her “an excellent person, and a good interpreter.”

Another Ally Another important ally the Spanish did not know they had was a germ that causes smallpox. Some historians think thousands of Aztecs caught smallpox after Cortés arrived.

The Fall of the Aztecs After their meeting in 1519, Moctezuma agreed to let Cortés live in Tenochtitlan.

Almost a year later, the Aztecs rose up and threw the Spanish out of their city. Moctezuma was killed (perhaps by his own people).

Cortés escaped and returned late in 1520 with many more native people as allies. In 1521, the mightiest empire in the Americas fell to the conquistadors.

Francisco Pizarro Spain sent Francisco Pizarro to conquer another powerful empire, the Incas.

He captured the ruler, Atahualpa in The next year, his forces captured Cuzco.

By 1535, Pizarro had founded a new capital called Lima (in a colony called Peru). Today. Lima is the capital of the country of Peru. A new culture was forming—part Indian and part Spanish.

Life in New Spain Lesson 3

Hernando de Soto In 1540, Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto and about 700 men traveled through what is now Georgia. They were searching for Cofitachiqui, a rich Indian city they had heard about.

They met a young Native American woman they call “the Lady of Cofitachiqui.” De Soto asks her about the freshwater pearls she has with her, and she takes him to a building that contains many more pearls

Search For Gold De Soto was interested in more than pearls. He hoped that the land would hold as much gold as Cortés found in Mexico. They demanded that the lady help them find gold, but she escaped. They continued their explorations without ever finding gold.

De Soto’s Travels

Esteban Esteban was an African sailor who had been enslaved. He had survived a shipwreck off the coast of Texas with the conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca.

Cabeza de Vaca’s Travels

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca He and Esteban traveled together for eight years in what is now the Southwest region of the United States.

Esteban’s Fate Three years later, Esteban joined another expedition to find Cibola. He did not find the kingdom and was killed by the Zuni people in what is now New Mexico.

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was sent by the governor of New Spain to find the city of Cibola. He did not find it either because it did not exist.

Society—a group of people forming a community

Peninsulares Peninsulares—people who were born in Spain who were at the top of the colonial society in New Spain. The name was based on the geography of Spain, which is located on a peninsula. They were wealthy and powerful.

Plantation Some owned plantations. Plantation—large farm with many workers who lived on the land they worked.

Encomienda Other peninsulares received grants called encomiendas. Encomienda—granted a peninsulare control of all the native peoples who lived on an area of land.

Encomienda owners could put the native people to work. They were supposed to take care of the native peoples and convert them to Christianity. In return, native peoples had to give the encomienda owners crops they grew and other goods.

Creoles Creoles—people of Spanish background who were born in the Americas

Mestizos Mestizos—the largest group in New Spain society. A mestizo is a person with Indian and Spanish background.

All Others People who had no Spanish ancestors, such as Indians and Africans, had the lowest position in this society.

City Life In the cities, colonists became merchants and shopkeepers, or worked for the colonial government. Others had small businesses such as making furniture and clothing.

Changes for Native Peoples Many encomienda owners put native people to work as farm workers, miners, and servants. They had to work without pay and did not always have enough to eat. They could be beaten and forced to work long hours.

Missionaries One type of encomienda was run by Roman Catholic missionaries. Missionary—teaches his or her religion to others who have different beliefs.

Mission The priests built missions throughout New Spain. Mission—a religious settlement where missionaries live and work.

Purpose The purpose of these missions was to teach native peoples about Christianity.

New Practices Missionaries also taught them some European farming practices, such as – raising cattle – Raising sheep.

The native people gave up their traditional ways of life and become Christians. On some missions, they were treated cruelly.

Bartolome de Las Casas Bartolome de Las Casas was a priest who spoke out against the mistreatment of native peoples under the care of the church.

Letter In 1527, Las Casas wrote angrily about what he had seen in the encomiendas. “(The native peoples) die or lead lives harsher than death. They have been split into shares as if they were herds of cattle or sheep; that is (divided)among the Spaniards and assigned by a specific number to each to become their slaves.”

Success? The efforts of Las Casas had some success. He persuaded Spain to pass laws in 1542 saying that native peoples must be paid for their work. Those laws were not enforced, however, and later were canceled.

Slavery Despite the efforts of Las Casas, slavery did not end in the Americas. The Spanish first brought enslaved Africans to the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola in The Spanish enslaved African Americans to replace the native peoples who were dying in large numbers from disease and overwork.

At first, Las Casas supported bringing Africans to New Spain to work in place of the native peoples. Later, he wrote that Africans should not be enslaved either.

Gradually, the enslavement of Africans became an important part of colonial economy. On Hispaniola alone, there were 12,000 enslaved Africans in Like the native peoples, African slaves on the encomiendas and plantations died from overwork and mistreatment.

Wealth of Spain The profits from the colonial plantations and mines created great wealth for Spain. In the 1600s, these riches helped make Spain one of the most powerful countries in the world. However, the power will come to an end.