1. AGE OF EXPLORATION-THE AMERICAS

2. EMERGENCE OF CONQUISTADORS
MOTIVATION of all Explorers---”3 Gs”
GOD---spread Christianity, mission from God
GOLD---untapped wealth & riches
GLORY---fame and fortune
Christopher Columbus→1st encounters w/Natives
Took several as prisoner, claimed the land for Spain
Other conquistadors, or conquerors, followed his example
Conquistadors only numbered in the hundreds, compared to millions of Native Americans… So how did they conquer?

3. GUNS, GERMS & STEEL (...and horses)
Guns/Cannons/Steel Armor vs. Arrows/Spears
Advantage Spanish Conquistadors
Brought horses, which Native Americans had never seen before
Useful in battle & w/carrying supplies
Europeans unknowingly brought diseases (smallpox, measles, influenza) w/them
Natives had no immunity, or resistance and were ravaged
As much as a 90% decline in population

4. CORTES CONQUERS MEXICO
Led expedition to Mexico that ended with conquest of Aztec Empire
Moctezuma-Aztec emperor
powerful and ruled much of Mexico
unpopular with conquered peoples
Sacrificed thousands of captives to Aztec Gods
Cortés used this to his advantage
Malinche, Native American translator
Arranged alliances w/them

5. CORTES CONQUERS MEXICO
Advantages for Cortés:
Spanish soldiers joined by thousands of Native Americans
Malinche (translator)
metal weapons, heavy armor, guns, horses, disease
November 8, 1519: Cortés and army entered Tenochtitlán, took emperor prisoner, took the city and entire Aztec Empire
Aztec Mexico-30 Million Natives in 1519; 3 Million in 1568

6. PIZARRO CONQUERS PERU Francisco Pizarro
about 10 years after conquest of Aztecs, led expedition to Peru
heard of wealthy Inca Empire...

7. PIZARRO CONQUERS PERU Inca Empire already weakened
smallpox, civil war, new ruler Atahualpa
Atahualpa heard of arrival of Spaniards and agreed to meet with them in 1532
Pizarro demanded that Atahualpa accept Christianity and relinquish empire
Atahualpa refused...Pizarro took him prisoner
Destroyed Inca army and took over empire

8. SPAIN IN CARIBBEAN Hispaniola and Cuba Encomienda system:
A colonist was given a certain amount of land and a number of Native Americans to work the land for him
In exchange, the colonist was required to teach the native workers about Christianity
System became the basis for nearly all Spanish settlements on the mainland as well

9. SPAIN IN CARIBBEAN Disastrous for Native Americans overworked
mistreated
diseases
smallpox, tuberculosis, measles

10. LIFE IN THE SPANISH EMPIRE
viceroys: officials chosen by Spanish king to govern American holdings
Colonial economy based largely on gold and silver mining, some farming

11. LIFE IN THE SPANISH EMPIRE
Some were appalled at the treatment of natives
Bartolomé de Las Casas
priest, vocal reformer seeking to protect Native Americans
recommended replacing them with imported African slaves

12. EFFECTS OF CONQUISTADORS
Spanish established gold & silver mines in Mexico & Peru that turned Spain into Europe’s greatest power
Native Americans decimated, tens of thousands dead
Many converted to Christianity in an attempt to end their suffering
By establishing empires in Americas, Spain changed pattern of global exploration
For the first time, much of the world was now connected by sea routes, on which traveled ships carrying goods, people and ideas

13. STRUGGLES FOR NORTH AMERICA
New France
Several colonies in Canada
Hoped to be source of gold and silver
found disappointment
Other valuable trade goods:
fish, forests, furs

14. NEW FRANCE
Unlike Spanish and Portuguese, did not send large numbers of colonists
only small groups of traders
Did not enslave Native Americans
source of furs, became trading partners and allies

15. THE ENGLISH COLONIES 1st colony established at Jamestown, VA in 1607
Hoped for gold and silver, river route to the Pacific
marshy ground and impure water
80% died during first winter

16. THE ENGLISH COLONIES
1620, Pilgrims who had been persecuted in England for religious beliefs settled Plymouth, MA
Self-sufficient within 5 years
Ruled by Britain,
Compact-agreement among themselves detailing how they would govern

17. BRITISH-FRENCH CONFLICT
French & Indian War ( ) began in North America & spread to Europe, India & Africa
Went badly for British at first, eventually French surrendered
Treaty of Paris
France yielded Canada and all territory east of the Mississippi River
Controlled much more land, but costs of the war led to taxes on the colonists...