Conquistadors

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Conquistadors
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Who were they?

• Conquistador is a term that means conqueror in
  in Spanish and Portuguese, but is widely
  associated with the Spanish soldiers, explorers,
  and adventurers who brought much of the Americas
  under the control of Spain in the 15th through
  the 19th centuries following Europe's discovery
  of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492.

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The Conquests

• The stated purposes of these conquests were to
  equally spread the word of God and to bring this
  new civilization in the most obscure parts of the
  world into the Spanish Crown as dutiful vassals.
• However, Spanish Conquest of Americas were a
  series of unfortunate and morally questionable
  acts driven by greed for gold and resulted in the
  destruction of several native civilizations.

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Famous Conquistadors

• Hernan Cortez Famous for leading an expedition
  into Mexico and defeating the Aztec Empire at
  Tenochtitlan.
• Francisco Pizarro Famous for leading an
  expedition into South America and defeating the
  Incan Empire.

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Hernan Cortez
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The Aztecs

• The Aztecs were the largest group of people
  living in Mexico at the time of Spanish arrival.
• Like the Olmecs and the Mayans before them, Aztec
  culture had rich and complex mythological and
  religious traditions, developed social structure,
  as well as reaching remarkable architectural and
  artistic accomplishments.

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Tenochtitlan

• The Aztecs were, by far, the largest group in
  Mexico by the year 1500.
• The population was around 30 million and they
  were immensely wealthy from conquering
  neighboring lands.
• At the heart of the empire was the grand city of
  Tenochtitlan. This capital city was estimated to
  have over 200-300,000 inhabitants.
• According to records, that would make it one of
  the largest cities in the world at the time.
  Compared to Europe, only Paris, Venice and
  Constantinople would have been larger.

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Tenochtitlan
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The Aztecs Did You Know?

• Aztecs did not refer to themselves as Aztecs, but
  as the Mexica.
• Aztecs believed that the gods sacrificed
  themselves so that humans could live. The Aztecs
  would in turn would make human sacrifices as
  repayment to the Gods. Many times they would eat
  the flesh and drink the blood of the sacrificed.
  Sound familiar?
• Aztecs had a complex calendar based on astrology,
  similar to the Mayans and Olmecs.
• Tenochtitlan had a zoo, botanical gardens and
  even 12 saltwater ponds or aquariums.

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Apocalypto

• The movie Apocalypto is set in Mexico, during the
  period of the Aztec and Maya civilizations. It
  depicts the journey of a young tribesman whos
  village was brutally attacked by Atzecs looking
  for slaves and humans to sacrifice to their gods.
  He must escape capture and rescue his family in
  this intense, historical thriller.

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Cortez and the Spanish Arrive

• When Cortez arrived at Tenochtitlan he was amazed
  by what he saw.
• The city was far grander than many he had ever
  seen.
• Cortez and the Spaniards were received by
  Montezuma, the Aztec emperor.
• Montezuma was reluctant to invite the Spaniards
  in, though many Aztecs believed they were
  descendants of the gods.

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Did you know?

• Some legends refer to the God Quetzalcoatl as a
  stranger from a distant land who sailed to their
  shores upon a magic raft of serpents.
• Other gods such as Itzamna and Kukulcan, were
  both portrayed as bearded men who led their
  ancestors into Mexico.
• Such similarities to the Spanish arriving on
  large boats and sporting beards and strange armor
  may have led the Aztecs to welcoming them as
  Gods.

The carving above and The statue to the left
depict Men with beards, similar to how Hernan
Cortez and the Spanish would have worn them.
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The Siege of Tenochtitlan

• Equally wary of the natives, Cortez took
  Montezuma captive.
• Along with an army of natives that he had made
  treaties with, Cortez and his men laid siege to
  the city.
• Many Aztecs were massacred during an annual
  festival.
• Cortez and his men were able to escape the city
  with vast amounts of gold.
• The Spaniards then cut off the outskirts of the
  city so that no one could get in or out.
• Without food, water and supplies, the Aztecs
  started to starve as famine and small pox
  epidemics broke out which killed most of the
  Tenochtitlan inhabitants.
• Even as many Aztecs surrendered, they were
  slaughtered by the Spanish.
• Through battles, famine, disease and slaughter,
  it is estimated that over 200,000 Aztecs died
  during the siege that lasted 80 days.

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The Siege of Tenochtitlan
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Tenochtitlan

• Following the siege, Cortez and the Spaniards and
  their native allies looted the city, slaughtered
  any remaining inhabitants.
• Cortez directed the destruction and leveling of
  most of the city which was then re-built for
  Spanish use. Today, Mexico City is built on top
  of the ruins of Tenochtitlan.
• It wasnt until the 1970s when the construction
  of the metro line in Mexico City that the ruins
  of the Temple Mayor was uncovered. A small
  excavated portion is available to the public.

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Temple Mayor
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Inca and Pizarro
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Francisco Pizarro

• Early South American explorers would bring back
  tales told by the natives of a gold rich
  territory called Piru.
• This immediately got Pizarros attention and he
  put together an expedition.

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Conquest of Peru

• While in Peru, Pizarro encountered a group of
  natives known as the Incas.

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The Incas

• The Incas were the largest group of natives in
  the New World.
• It is estimated that their total population was
  upwards of 40 million prior to Spanish arrival.
• The Incas were known for building a complex
  network of roads and fortresses. They are
  sometimes referred to as the Romans of the New
  World.
• The Incans were also very wealthy with gold.
  Since their was no iron or other metals, so
  Incans often made everyday household items out of
  the precious metal.

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The Incan Empire
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Machu Picchu
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Did You Know?

• Despite all their complexities, the Incas
  actually did not have an official system of
  writing.
• In fact, they used a system of knotted string or
  rope called quipu to help keep records and
  calculate math.

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Human Sacrifice and Mummification

• Like the Aztecs, Incas would also practice human
  sacrifice. They would take their children (who
  were pure) out into the mountains and leave them
  for their gods. Children would die from exposure
  to the elements.
• The Incas were also well known for their mummies
  that have been found. Many of them are the
  sacrificed children who had frozen to death and
  became a natural mummy.

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Mummies
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Conquest of Peru

• When encountering the Incas, Pizarro tried to
  negotiate with the Incan emperor Atahualpa.
• When Atahualpa refused the Spanish, Pizarro
  attacked and captured the Incan emperor.
• The Spanish held Atahualpa for ransom, demanding
  the Incans to fill an entire room of gold and
  silver.
• When the Incans complied, the Spanish killed
  Atahualpa anyway.

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Conquest of Peru

• Pizarro and the Spaniards took their gold and
  then continued on their conquest.
• The Spanish finally defeated the Incas at their
  capital city of Cuzco and within a year, he had
  conquered all the Incas and Peru.
• Pizarro wanted to establish a capital city of the
  recently conquered territory but the Incan
  capital was too far inland.
• Pizarro then established the city of Lima on the
  coast.