1. Spain’s Empire
In The Americas

2. Aztecs Settled in central Mexico in the 1300’s
Built their capital, Tenochtitlan, on an
island in the middle of Lake Texcoco
By 1500 the Aztec empire stretched
from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific
Ocean and included millions of people
Moctezuma: The Aztec emperor
who ruled over much of Mexico

3. Aztecs Chinampas: Floating gardens Priests developed complex calendars
Priests performed rituals designed
to please the many Aztec gods
Paid special attention to the sun god
Believed that each day the sun battled
its way across the heavens
Believed that the sun required human
sacrifices in order to rise each day
Heavy taxes and many revolts

4. Incas By 1500, their empire stretched for almost 2,500 miles along the
west coast of South America
The center of the Incan empire
was the magnificent capital at
Cuzco located high in the Andes
Cuzco was a holy city to the Incas
The emperor was known as the
Sapa Inca and was regarded as
a god who descended from the
sun god

5. Incas More than 10 million people Well organized
System of roads covering
more than 10,000 miles
Skilled engineers
Created terraces:
wide steps of land cut
out of steep mountainsides

6. Superior Military Spanish: Protected by steel armor Had guns
Spanish soldiers
mounted on horses
Aztecs & Incas:
Clubs
Bows and arrows
Spears

7. Scared of Spanish Moctezuma heard disturbing reports of a large house
floating on the sea
Astonishing
newcomers
riding horses
Aztec sacred writings predicted that a powerful white-skinned god would come from the east to rule the Aztecs
Aztecs hesitated to attack at first because they thought the Spanish might be gods

8. Weak From Fighting Incas were weak from fighting among
themselves over control of their government

9. European Diseases Chickenpox Measles Influenza
Disease alone may have ensured
Spanish victory over the Indians

10. Ponce De Leon Traveled through parts of Florida
In 1513 , looking for a legendary
Fountain of Youth
Found no such fountain

11. Looked for Fountain of Youth
Juan Ponce de Leon
Legendary
Indians claimed that anyone who bathed in its
magical water would remain young forever.

12. De Soto From 1539 to 1542, Hernando De Soto explored Florida and
other parts of the Southeast
Search for gold
Reached the Mississippi River
Died along the riverbank without
finding the riches he sought

13. Reached Mississippi River
From 1539 to 1542, Hernando
De Soto explored Florida and
other parts of the Southeast
Search for gold
Reached the Mississippi River
Died along the riverbank without
finding the riches he sought

14. Coronado Conquistador: Francisco Coronado
Heard legends about “seven cities of gold”
In 1540, he led
an expedition
into Arizona
and New Mexico
as far as the
Grand Canyon

15. Explored Borderlands Spanish search for treasure Moved north
Spanned present-day US from Florida to California

16. Largely Unsuccessful Ponce de Leon did not find
a Fountain of Youth in Florida
Panfilo Narvaez and others were
lost at sea after a storm struck
his fleet in the Gulf of Mexico
De Soto died along the Mississippi
River without finding the riches he sought
Strong Indian resistance in the north

17. New Spain Established in 1535 Included The Borderlands
The Spanish king put a viceroy
in charge to rule in his name
A code called the Laws of the
Indies stated how New Spain
should be organized and ruled.
Three kinds of settlements:
pueblos, presidios, missions

18. Peru Established in 1535 The Spanish king put a viceroy
in charge to rule in his name
A code called the Laws of the
Indies stated how Peru should
be organized and ruled.

19. Laws of the Indies In 1535, the king of Spain divided his
American lands into New Spain & Peru
The king of Spain set up a strong
system of government to rule his
growing empire
The king put a viceroy in charge of
each region to rule in his name
Stated how the colonies of New Spain
and Peru should be organized and ruled
The code provided for three kinds of
settlements in New Spain:
pueblos, presidios, and missions
Also set up a strict social system

20. Pueblos Towns in New Spain Centers of farming and trade
Plaza, or public square, in the middle
Shops and homes lined the four sides
of the plaza

21. Presidios Forts where soldiers lived in New Spain High, thick walls
Inside were shops, stables,
and storehouses for food
Soldiers protected the
farmers who settled nearby
First presidio in the borderlands
was built in 1565 at St. Augustine, Florida

22. Missions Religious settlements run by Catholic priests and friars
Like other Europeans in the
Americas, the Spanish believed
they had a duty to convert the
Indians to Christianity
Often forced Indians to live
and work on the missions
Missionaries gradually spread
across the Spanish borderlands

23. Social Classes The Laws of the Indies set up a strict social system
People in Spanish colonies were
divided into four social classes:
Peninsulares
Creoles
Mestizos
Native Americans

24. Peninsulares Top of the social scale People born in Spain
Held the highest jobs in
government and church
Owned large tracts of land
as well as rich gold and
silver mines

25. Creoles People born in the Americas to Spanish parents
Many were wealthy and well
educated
Owned farms and ranches,
taught at universities, and
practiced law
Could not hold the jobs that
were reserved for the
peninsulares

26. Mestizos Mixed Spanish and Indian background Worked on farms and
ranches owned by
peninsulares & creoles
Carpenters, shoemakers,
tailors, and bankers

27. Native Americans Lowest class in Spanish colonies
Treated as conquered people
Kept in poverty for hundreds of years
Spanish government gave settlers
encomiendas which were land grants
that included the right to demand
labor or taxes from Native Americans
Forced to work on ranches, farms,
and in gold & silver mines
Death due to hunger, disease, and
mistreatment

28. African Slaves
Seeking to protect Native Americans Americans, Bartolome De Las Casas suggested Africans be brought as slaves to replace forced Indian laborers
Less likely to die from European diseases
Used to doing hard
farm work in their
homeland
Vast majority came
from West Africa
Atlantic slave trade:
The trade of enslaved
Africans across the
Atlantic to Americas

29. African Slaves
The European demand for African slave labor grew rapidly, not only in New Spain, but elsewhere in the Americas
(Caribbean islands, Brazil, British colonies in N. America)
Key part of
colonial economy
Plantations:
Large estates farmed
by many workers

30. Blend of Cultures A new way of life took shape in New Spain
that blended Spanish and Indian ways

31. Spanish Influences
Spanish settlers brought their own culture to the colonies
Introduced their language, laws, religion, and learning

32. Native American Influences
Colonists adopted Indian foods
Colonists adopted Indian clothing
(poncho and moccasins)
Indian workers used materials
they knew well (adobe bricks) to
build libraries, theatres, churches
Indian artists decorated church
walls with paintings of local traditions