Spain Builds an Empire

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Spain Builds an Empire
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I. Conquest of the Indians

• Aztecs (modern Mexico)
• King - Moctezuma
• Welcomed Spanish into Tenochtitlan
• Spanish
• Led by Hernan Cortes
• Highly Outnumbered
• 3 Advantages
• Guns - superior weapons
• Steel - stronger armor
• Germs - Aztecs not immune to Euro. diseases

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I. Conquest (cont.)

• Inca (Andes)
• Spanish led by Francisco Pizarro
• Once again, greatly outnumbered
• Again, had the BIG 3 advantages

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II. Spanish in the U.S.

• Southeast - Florida
• Juan Ponce de Leon (1512)
• lands on FLA coast
• Began looking for the Fountain of Youth
• Never did colonize FLA
• Hernando de Soto (1539)
• Explored northern FLA
• Headed into GA and the Carolinas
• Crossed the Appalachian
• First European to see the Mississippi River

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II. Spanish (cont.)

• Southwest - CA, AZ, NM, etc...
• Francisco Coronado (1540)
• wanted to find the 7 Cities of Gold
• 1st Europeans to see Grand Canyon
• Explored TX and OK as well

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III. Treatment of Native Americans

• Overall
• Outnumbered other groups in Spanish America
• Treated cruelly
• Goods and land were stolen
• Catholic Church
• Wanted to convert Native Americans
• Bartolome de Las Casas - spoke out against poor
  treatment
• Most ignored call for better treatment