1. The Aztecs are Conquered  Hernando Cortes had arrived in Mexico from Cuba  He had begun establishing colonies on the islands of the Caribbean Sea  Because of stories of great wealth and riches, Cortes was encouraged to gain some of the Aztecs’ land and wealth

2. Disadvantages vs. Advantages  Cortes was one group of Spanish soldiers who became known as conquistadors  His challenge: His army was greatly outnumbered (only about 500 men)  Cortes had metal armor to protect his men against the Aztec stone weapons  They also had muskets and horses

3. Allies  Cortes had made allies who were willing to fight with the Spanish, many of these people did not want to live under Aztec rule  Dona Marina was an Aztec woman who had become a Christian. She was willing to help Cortes fight  She helped communicate to the native people of Mexico

4. Allies unknown  The Spanish did not realize it at the time, but they carried a germ that spread smallpox  Some say thousands of Aztecs caught Smallpox after Cortes arrived  When Cortes returned late in 1520 with many more allies, the mighty empire of the Aztecs fell

5. Founding New Spain  After the conquest of the Aztecs, the Spanish destroyed Tenochtitlan.  Smallpox once again helped the Spanish by spreading disease throughout Mexico  Spain established the colony of New Spain with a capital of Mexico City

6. Making New Spain home  Spanish officials came to set up a government, make laws, and build schools and universities.  Roman Catholic priests came to convert the native people to Christianity  Spanish leaders discouraged natives from continuing to sacrifice people to their gods  Colonists also came to New Spain to live

7. Conquests Continue  The Inca Empire lay to the South, which controlled a huge portion of the land in western South America  Ten years after the Spanish began their conquest, they sent Francisco Pizarro to conquer the Incas  By 1532, Pizarro captured Cuzco, the capital city of the Empire. By 1535 a new capital was formed (Lima)  A new culture was born – part Spanish, part Indian

8. Search for Gold  Hernando de Soto led expeditions to search for gold and other riches in the Americas  One story told was about the kingdom of Cibola  The legend told by Esteban (once enslaved) about Cibola did not fade  Many could not find this city, some feel it is because it did not exist

9. Explorer Map  Label the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic ocean and the Pacific Ocean  Color land and water  Label and trace routes of 4 different explorers  Create a map key

10. Society in New Spain  A new way of life had formed in New Spain as more and more colonists came to live  At the top of society were the peninsulares, which were people born in Spain  Next, came creoles – people who have a Spanish background but were born in America  Mestizos followed and were the largest group (mixed Indian and Spanish background

11. Peninsulares  They were wealthy and powerful  They owned plantations or large farms with many workers  Other peninsulares received grants called encomienda which granted control of all natives who lived on an area of land

12. In cities  Colonists became merchants and shopkeepers  They would work for the colonial government  Some had small businesses where they made furniture or clothing

13. More Changes for Natives  Many encomienda owners put the natives to work as farmers, miners, and servants  Some were forced to work and did not even have enough to eat  One type of encomineda was run by Catholic missionaries who would try to teach the ways of their religion. Sometimes they even taught European farming practices

14. Speaking Out  A priest named Bartolome de Las Casas spoke out against the mistreatment of native people  His efforts had some success because he persuaded Spain to pass laws in 1542 saying the natives must be paid for their work  However, these laws were not really enforced