1. Spanish Exploration & Conquest of the Americas
REVIEW!!

2. When and What? – Late 1400’s – Europeans – explored the oceans
Why – Primary motive: Europeans wanted faster trade routes to Asia (spices, silk, tea, porcelain)

3. Specifics Political- Cut out Muslim middleman
Economic- No middle man = profits go up
Religious- Missionary work
Social- Recovery from black death: population increases thus demand for goods increases
Intellectual- Renaissance spurred people to learn more about lands beyond Europe.
Area – wanted a new route to Asia that bypassed the Med Sea.

4. HOW? New technology & navigation
Better ships (the caravel), improved rudder & sails
Astrolabe perfected by Muslims
Cartographers made more accurate maps

5. Who? Portugal and Spain led the way
Dias- 1st explorer to round Africa
Da gama- voyage to India $$$$$
Magellan st to circumnavigate the globe
Columbus Italian sailing for Spain, landed in the Caribbean
Cortes – Conquered the Aztec in 1519
Pizzaro – Conquered the Incan in 1532

6. How? Military Technology and Disease**
Spanish = Horses, muskets and cannons
Also Small pox, measles and influenza
By early 1600’s, 90% of Native American population wiped out.
Native Americans = Arrows and spears
…and no immunity to European diseases

7. The New World – Spanish Colonies
Encomienda System – Large plantations granted to conquistadors who demanded labor from the Native Americans
BUT – overworking and disease led to labor shortage that led to…

8. TRIANGLE TRADE

9. WHY? Africans were thought to be immune to diseases.
Middle Passage – middle leg of Triangle trade that brought Africans to the Americas

12. Social Hierarchy 1. Peninsulares – born in Spain
2. Creoles – American born descendants of Spanish
3. Mestizos – Native American and European
4. Mullato – African and European
5. Native Americans
6. African Slaves
“Labor force on Spanish encomiendas”

13. Columbian Exchange What was it? Impacts Americas Europe and Africa
The exchange of goods, plants, animals, and values/ideas that occurred between Europeans, Africans and Americans.
Impacts
Biggest ex. of cultural diffusion in history
New food sources led to population growth in Europe
Americas
Europe and Africa
Corn, tomatos, potatos, coco, beans, peppers, tobacco
sugar,
Horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, rice, bananas, coffee, diseases, grapes