1. Spanish Conquest of Central and South America

2. Spanish Conquistadors
As the Age of Exploration went into full swing, Spanish conquistadors went to the Americas for 3 general reasons:
Gold
God
Glory
Conquistador- a leader in the Spanish conquests of America, Mexico and Peru in the 16th Century

3. Hernan Cortés 1519, Cortes landed on the shores of Mexico
Learned of the wealthy Aztec Empire in the regions interior.
Reached capital Tenochtitlan
Aztec Emperor Montezuma II convinced Cortes is a god offers to give him gold.
Cortes was not satisfied
1520, Cortes and his men driven out of capital by Aztecs during confusion of other conquistadors trying to come in to take over.
Montezuma II is killed during the fighting.
1521- Cortes strikes back and conquers Aztecs

4. Francisco Pizarro 1532, Pizarro lands in Peru
Pizarro makes alliances with other Indians that are enemies with the Inca
Incas have just finished a civil war
Pizarro kidnap Atahualpa (Inca King) and ask for ransom
Incas pay ransom but Pizarro killed Atahualpa anyway
Spain adds much of South America to their empire

5. Reasons for Spanish Victory
Superior military technology
Division and discontent among Indians aided the Spanish
Disease brought by the Europeans weakened the Aztec and Incans- no natural immunity
Religious beliefs- many Indians believed that the disasters they suffered meant the end of the world

6. Ruling The Spanish Empire
Spain wanted to maintain control over its empire
The Spanish king did the following:
Set up the Council of the Indies to pass laws in the Americas
Appointed viceroys to rule in his name
Viceroy- someone who rules a colony on behalf of the king or queen
Viceroy of New Spain
Antonio Maria de Bucareli y Ursúa

7. Spreading Christianity
Spain wanted to spread Roman Catholicism to the New World
Jesuits set up missions and converted thousands of Indians
Spanish missionaries forcibly imposed European culture over Native American culture
Missionary- One who attempts to persuade or convert others to a particular idea

8. Trade & the Encomienda
Spain closely regulated trade to keep profits high
Colonists could only export raw materials to Spain and buy only Spanish manufactured goods.
Native Americans were forced into the encomienda system
Conquistadors could demand labor or tribute.
Resistors were hunted down & killed
Native Americans were forced to work in the silver mines in the Andes Mts.

9. A Spanish Priest Speaks out
Bartolomé de Las Casas
a Spanish priest, condemned the encomienda system.
He reported the horrors of the system to the king
Led to the passage of the New Laws of the Indes
Forbade enslavement of Native Americans

10. Labor Shortage!
With Native American slavery banned, there was now a labor shortage.
What do you think was suggested to make up the labor shortage?
Las Casas suggested to import workers from Africa
Immune to tropical diseases
Skills in farming, mining & metalwork
Harder for them to escape
What happened as a result?
Millions of African slaves were forced into slavery

11. The Human Trade
Sugar cane & sugar plantations – need for a large work force.
First boat of African slaves brought by the Spanish in 1518.
Between 1500 & 1800, about 10 million Africans shipped to the
Americas.

12. Why Africans? Agricultural experts; advanced farming techniques
Climate of West Coast of Africa similar to Caribbean and South America; life expectancy longer than Europeans
Easy to identify as a laborer due
to color of their skin

13. The Triangular Trade Europe would send manufactured goods to Africa
Slaves would then be picked up in Africa and brought to the Americas
Raw materials like sugar, cotton and timber would then be brought from America to Europe
The leg of the trip from Africa to the Americas was known as the Middle Passage

14. Slave Ship
“Middle Passage”

15. “Coffin” Position Below Deck

16. Spanish Colonial Society
As the Spaniards took control of large parts of Central and South America, they established a set of rules about the social structure of their colonies.
Peninsulares
Creoles
Metizos
Mulattoes
Native Americans
African Slaves
-White colonists from Spain
-Two Spanish settler’s child born in America
-Native American + European descent
-African + European descent