1. Imperialism and Exploration
Competition among Europeans for wealth in Asia was intense. This competition prompted European countries to start sponsoring explorers to go to the Americas

2. Gold, God, Glory
The desire for new sources of wealth was the main reason for European exploration to Latin America. Merchants hoped to benefit from the trade of spices and other luxury goods that could be found in Asia.
The desire to spread Christianity also fueled European exploration. Europeans felt they had a sacred duty to convert all non-Christians throughout the world.
Europeans also wanted to bring fame to themselves and their country.

3. Technological Advances
New Vessels
(the Caravel)
Astrolabe
Magnetic Compass
While gold god and glory were the primary motives for imperialism, advancements in technology made these voyages of discovery possible. In the 1400s shipbuilders designed a new vessel-the Caravel- that was sturdier and allowed it to travel against the wind.
Europeans also improved their navigational techniques. To better determine their location at sea, sailors used the astrolabe. Sea captains could tell how far north or south of the equator the ship was, based on the stars.
The leader in developing and applying these sailing innovations was Portugal. But, soon after Portugal began to lay claim to many areas of Africa, Spain began to desire a direct sea route to Asia.

4. Christopher Columbus Wanted to find alternate route Asia 1492
Sailed on the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria
Took over the Tainos
Colonized Islands
Abused and enslaved the natives
Tainos population decreased from 1 million to 500 in 50 years
In 1492, an Italian sea captain, Columbus, convinced Spain to finance what was at that time a bold pan: finding a route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. In October, 1492 Columbus reached the Caribbean and immediately claimed the land for Spain. He thought that he had reached India so he called the inhabitants Indians. He had miscalculated where he was, though. The natives he met were a group who called themselves Taino.
Columbus’ main goal was to find gold. When he did not find it on the first island, he explored other islands throughout the Caribbean, staking his claim to each one. Columbus made more voyages to the Americas and each time claimed more land and built more colonies for Spain.
The immediate impact of Columbus’ voyage was that it increased tensions between the Portuguese and the Spanish, but the long lasting effect was that it opened the way for the colonization of the Americas- a process that would forever change the world.

5. Tainos “Men of Good” Lived on the island for 15000-1500 years
Grew corn, yams, and cotton
Made clothes
Friendly and open to the Spanish
Offended Spanish accidentally
Columbus claimed land for Spain and brought Tainos back to Spanish king
The Tainos lived in villages and grew corn, yams, and cotton, which they wove into clothes. They were friendly and open to the Spanish. The Tainos offended the Spanish by not paying proper respect to Christian symbols. Columbus felt himself superior to the Tainos, so he claimed the land for Spain and brought Tainos back to the Spanish king.
Columbus encounter was repeated by many other conquistadors, or conquerors, who arrived in the Americas. They seized Native Americans gold and then made them slaves to search for more and also forced them to convert to Christianity.

6. Guns, Horses, and Disease
Spanish conquistadors had many advantages:
Guns and cannons
Metal armor for protection
Horses
Disease- smallpox, measles, and influenza
In 1500s Native American population decreased by 90%.
Although Spanish conquistadors only numbered in the hundreds compared to millions of Natives, they had many advantages. Their guns were superior to the Natives’ arrows and spears. The European metal armor provided them with better protection. They also had horses, which were not only useful in battle and carrying supplies, but scared the Natives who had never seen a horse.
Most importantly, disease helped the conquistadors take control of the Native Americans. Europeans unknowingly carried diseases, such as small pox, measles, and influenza to which Native Americans had no immunity. These diseases spread rapidly and wiped out many villages. As a result the Native American population decreased as much as 90% in the 1500s. Millions of Native Americans died from disease as Europeans made their way inland.

7. Hernando Cortes Conquistador who lived in Cuba
Landed in Mexico in 1519
Carved colonies in regions that would become Mexico, South America, USA
Spanish first to settle in Americas
Encountered the Aztec Civilization
In 1519 Cortes landed on the shores of Mexico. Cortes marched inward, looking to claim new lands for Spain. Soon after reaching Mexico, Cortes learned of the vast and wealthy Aztec empire in the interior of Mexico. Cortes and about 600 men marched through mountains to reach the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.

8. Cortes Meets Aztecs Cortes reached Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan
Aztec emperor Montezuma II thought he was an armor-clad god and sent him treasures
Conquistador demanded more gold
Cortes conquered Aztec despite resistance because:
Better weapons
Disease
Help from other native groups
Montezuma, emperor of Aztec empire, thought Cortes might be an Aztec god who had promised to return. Montezuma welcomed Cortes to his capital. However, relations soon became strained. The Spanish wanted to convert the Aztecs to Christianity. They also wanted to gain more of the Aztec wealth, so they imprisoned Montezuma. Cortes required Montezuma to sign over his land and treasure to the Spanish and forced the Aztec people to mine for more gold and silver. By 1521 Cortes and his troops had captured Tenochtitlan

9. Francisco Pizarro In 1533 he
reached South America and encountered the Inca people in Peru
Pizzaro conquered Inca Empire
Kidnapped Atahualpa (leader)
Ransom Gold / Silver
Strangled Atalualpa
Incas gave up
In 1533, Pizarro marched an even smaller force into South America. He conquered the mighty Incan empire. Pizarro and his army of 200 men met the Inca ruler, Atahualpa. Atahualpa commanded a force of about 30,000 brought several thousand mostly unarmed men to the meeting. The Spaniards crushed the Incan force and kidnapped Atahualpa. Atahualpa offered to give gold and silver for his release; however, after receiving the ransom the Spanish strangled Atahualpa. Demoralized by their leader’s death, the remaining Inca forces retreated. Pizarro then marched to the Incan capital, Cuzco and captured it without a struggle.

10. Spain’s Pattern of Conquest
Peninsulares married native women and had mestizo children
Encomienda System :
natives farmed, ranched, or mined for Spanish landlords
Abusive system
The Spanish were different in how they imperialized Spain. They lived among the natives and imposed their culture. The Spanish settlers to the Americas were mostly men, and called Peninsulares. As a result, marriage between Spanish settelrs and native women was common. These marriages created a large mestizo population. Their descendants live in Mexico, other Latin American countries, and the US today.
Although they often lived among them, they also oppressed them. In their effort to exploit the land for its resources, the Spanish forced the Natives to labor within a system called the encomienda system. Under this system, natives farmed, ranched, or mined for Spanish landlords. These landlords received the rights to the labor from the Spanish authorities. The landlords promised they would treat the natives fairly, but many abused the natives and worked them to death. This system was used throughout the Caribbean.

11. Opposition to Spanish Rule
Spanish priests pushed for better treatment of natives
Encomiendas abolished in 1542
For labor they began to use Africans
Natives resisted
Spanish priests worked to spread Christianity in the Americas, but also pushed for better treatment of the Native Americans. Priests spoke out against the cruel treatment of natives, particularly the encomienda system.
As a result, the encomienda system was abolished in Priests suggested replacing the use of Native Americans with Africans as a source of labor.
The natives also resisted the Spanish method of colonization. In many instances the natives fought against the conquistadors and led uprisings against the Spanish.

12. Effects of Spanish Conquistadors
Within a few decades, natives were conquered
Native Americans converted to Christianity
Seized valuable goods
Spain in the 1600’s riches, most powerful nation in the world

13. Bartolome de Las Casas
their other frightening weapons after the horses: twenty hunting greyhounds they were unleashed and fell on the Indians at eh cry of Tomalo! (get them) within an hour they had preyed on one hundred o them. As the indians were used to going completely naked, it is easy to imagine what the fierce greyhounds did, urged to bite naked bodies and skin much more delicate than that of the wild boars they were used to… This tactic, begun here and invented by the devil, spread throughout these Indies and will end when there is no more land nor people to subjugate and destroy in this part of the world