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Spanish Explorers and Colonies

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Spanish Explorers and Colonies In August of 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail to find a route to Asia by sailing west Across the Atlantic Ocean – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Spanish Explorers and Colonies


1
Spanish Explorers and Colonies
  • In August of 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail
    to find a route to Asia by sailing west Across
    the Atlantic Ocean
  • In October of the same year, Columbus small fleet
    reached land. He thought he was in Asia, but was
    actually in North America
  • Excited about his discovery, the Spanish King
    funded more voyages for Columbus, to explore and
    colonize new lands
  • Columbus landed his ships, the Nina, the Pinta,
    and the Santa Maria on the Caribbean islands we
    now call San Salvador, near Cuba

2
Spanish Explorers and Colonies
  • Columbus' discoveries had a major impact on
    Native American, African and European societies
  • European's dominated native populations with
    advanced weapons and forced them into labor on
    plantations
  • As populations declined, Europeans eventually
    began capturing Africans as slaves for American
    plantations
  • Thousands of Native Americans died from European
    diseases for which they had no natural immunity

3
Spanish Explorers and Colonies
  • Columbus' voyages sparked thousands of Europeans
    to cross the Atlantic in search of a fresh start
    in the New World
  • National Rivalries exploded as European powers
    raced to secure dominance of the Western
    Hemisphere
  • Columbus and other explorers discovered many new
    plants and animals in the New World and brought
    many of them back to Europe
  • They also introduced diseases, plants and animals
    from Europe to North America.
  • This movement of living things became known as
    the Columbian Exchange

4
Spanish Explorers and Colonies
  • After Columbus, many explorers crossed the
    Atlantic to conquer lands for Spain
  • These men were known as conquistadors, which
    means conquerors
  • Cortes beat the Aztec into submission to take
    their gold. They attempted a rebellion, But
    disease and the conquistadors superior weapons
    led to their surrender
  • The most famous conquistador is Hernando Cortes.
    With a force of around 500 men, he conquered the
    Aztec Empire

5
Spanish Explorers and Colonies
  • The Spanish built a vast empire across North,
    Central and South America.
  • They defeated the Aztec in Central America and
    claimed their land and resources, renaming it New
    Spain
  • The Spanish also explored much of what is now the
    American Southwest, including New Mexico and
    California.
  • By 1532 the Spanish had defeated the mighty Inca
    Empire in South America

6
Spanish Explorers and Colonies
  • The Spanish not only explored and conquered lands
    in the Americas, but also sought to spread
    Christianity to Native populations
  • By the 1700s many Spanish Missions had been
    established in the American Soutwest for this
    purpose
  • Modern cities like San Diego, San Fransico and
    San Antonio began as Spanish Missions in the 1700s
  • These communities, often protected by forts,
    would become towns and later cities

7
Spanish Explorers and Colonies
  • Spanish rule, though widespread, would not last
    long.
  • The Spanish empire grew large and difficult to
    control
  • Many Native American groups, including the
    Pueblo, resisted the Spanish in uprisings and
    rebellions
  • This ended Spain's Atlantic dominance and opened
    the door for British colonization of North America
  • Finally in 1588 England's fleet defeated the
    Spanish Armada on the Atlantic Ocean
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