Post on 16-Mar-2018
Spanish Conquest of the
Americas
Why the Spanish?
• Skilled ship builders
• Skilled sailors and explorers
• Advances in navigation technologies
a)Caravel Ships
b)Compass
c)Astrolabes
• Government of Spain willing to invest a lot of $
• Treaty of Tordesillas
What did the Spanish want in
the Americas? • Gold (riches to take back to Spain)
• Glory (stories of mighty conquest to prove
Spanish superiority)
• God (Convert the “uncivilized” people to
Christianity)
How did the Europeans
(including the Spanish)
Conquer the people of the
Americas?
Guns
Germs
Steel
Aztecs and Incas
• The Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas of
South America were two native groups
the Spanish encountered.
• Both groups were rich in gold
• Spanish soldiers were known as
conquistadors meaning conquerors.
Treaty of Tordesillas 1494
Boundaries Details
• Declared by the leader of
the Catholic Church
Pope Alexander VI
• Spain and Portugal
• Spain control west of line
• Portugal control east of
line
Spanish Conquistadors
Hernan Cortes
• Conquered the Aztec
Empire in Modern Day
Mexico
• Destroyed the civilization
of the Aztecs in search
for Gold and other natural
resources
• Set up Spanish colony
Spanish Conquistadors
Francisco Pizarro
• In 1532 conquered the
Inca Empire in Modern
Day Peru
• Destroyed the civilization
and set up a Spanish
colony
• In search of Gold and
natural resources
Christopher Columbus
• Looking for a trade
route to Asia
• Lands in the New
World (island of
Hispaniola) in 1492
• Returns for 3 more
trips to the New World
• Basically steals from,
enslaves, and kills
Native people
Spanish Conquistadors
Ponce de Leon Hernando de Soto
Ponce de Leon
• Ponce de Leon had sailed with Columbus
on his second voyage.
• He explored and conquered Puerto Rico
and became its governor.
• He later sailed to North America landing in
present day Florida searching for the
Fountain of Youth.
• He was the first Spaniard to set foot in
what is today the United States.
New Explorations
• After Columbus, Balboa, and Magellan
others from Spain went on to explore the
Americas.
• Driven by their desire for gold and other
riches, they pushed deep into North and
South America.
• This was new land to the Spanish but it
was home to people already living there.
Spanish Conquistadors
Explorer Date Area Explored
*Ponce de Leon 1513 Puerto Rico and
Florida
Hernado Cortes 1519-1536 Mexico and
California
Fancisco
Pizarro
1531-1535 West Coast of
South America
*Hernando de
Soto
1539-1542 Southeast North
America
Coronado 1540-1542 Southwest
North America
Hernando de Soto
• Hernando de Soto traveled with an army
of 600 soldiers.
• The group marched north from Florida to
the Tennessee River Valley searching for
gold.
• In present day Tennessee, they killed or
captured Cherokee Indians and burned
their villages.
Hernando de Soto
• De Soto encountered many other Indian tribes during his expedition.
• He encountered the Mound Builders killing between 2,500 to 11,000.
• After this battle, De Soto’s men were in poor condition. Many died others deserted.
• The remaining soldiers marched to the Mississippi River. They were the first Europeans to see the great river.
Hernando de Soto
• In 1542, De Soto died of fever.
• His men buried him in the Mississippi
River to hide his death from the Indians.
• Though he found no gold, Hernando de
Soto claimed the land he explored for
Spain.
• The remaining men returned to Mexico.