Key Terms

1
Key Terms The Encounter in South America

• Ferdinand and Isabella
• Granada
• The Reconquista
• Spanish Inquisition
• Conquistadors
• Mexico
• Hernando Cortes
• Aztecs

• Montezuma
• Smallpox
• Mayans
• Francisco Pizarro
• Incas
• New Spain
• The Encomienda
• Bartolome de las Casas
• Brazil
• Feitorias

2
Ferdinand and Isabella

• Ferdinand and Isabella ? king and queen of Spain
  during the Age of Exploration, sought to
  consolidate their power in Spain via marriage and
  policy
• Sent numerous explorers out to the Americas in
  search of new goods and markets

3
The Reconquista

• Spain during the 15th Century still had a Muslim
  stronghold in its midst which was Granada.
• Granada ? last Muslim city in Spain which fell in
  1492.
• The conquest of Granada was part of a larger plan
  known as the Reconquista

4
The Reconquista (cont.)

• The rulers of Spain would set out on a mission of
  homogenizing Spain making all of its citizens
  Spanish and Christian to ease their rule.
• The Reconquista ? massive expeditions from coast
  to coast in Spain in which non-Christians were
  converted or expelled

5
The Inquisition

• Non-Christians were forced to convert or go into
  exile.
• Numerous individuals chose convert but were not
  just left alone.
• The Inquisition ? trials that were launched to
  ensure the converted were following Christian
  doctrine
• Many were forced to confess if they had not been
  maintaining their conversion, usually via torture.

6
The Conquistadors

• Conquistadors ? leaders of troops that invaded
  South America
• Believed that it was their mission to subdue the
  natives and Christianize them
• It was their duty to civilize the 'savages'.

7
Mexico and Cortes

• Hernando Cortes ? initially was in Hispanola and
  believed that there was far more wealth in
  Mexico.
• Mexico ? large landmass that was home to many
  Native American tribes, also an area with a
  wealth of natural resources.

8
Why the Success?

• Cortes encountered the Aztecs, a native American
  tribe that spanned Mexico and Central America
  with a capital known as Tenochitlan, and subdued
  them in two years.
• Why did this happen?
• Superior weapons
• Belief that Cortes was Quetzacoatl
• Use of neighboring groups that hated the Aztecs
• Use of a translator to speak to other groups

9
Results

• Cortes was able to convince Moctezuma (Aztec
  Emperor) that he was a god which aided his
  conquest.
• Spanish troops would completely obliterate Aztec
  culture, erase much of their history by
  destroying temples and books, and build a new
  city on the site of Tenochitlan which would
  become Mexico City.

10
Conquest of the Mayas

• Mayas ? Native American group that was scattered
  after the 9th Century, were disjointed and held
  no major cities
• Spanish would conquer the Mayas though it would
  prove to be more difficult since they were
  difficult to locate.

11
Pizarro and the Incas

• Francisco Pizarro ? Conquistador who led an
  expedition into South America to locate and
  conquer the Incas
• Incas ? massive South American empire that was
  considered to be the most advanced of the Native
  American groups in Central and South America

12
Why the Success?

• Pizarro was able to subdue the Incas in a similar
  fashion as to that of Cortes and the Aztecs.
• Why the Success?
• Superior weapons
• An opportune time, the Incas were embroiled in a
  civil war
• Capture of the Incan Emperor, Atahulpa

13
New Spain

• The Spanish would begin to move in droves to New
  Spain.
• New Spain ? Central America, and portions of
  South America that had been colonized by the
  Spanish in the 16th Century

14
The Encomienda System

• The Spanish would begin to set up plantations and
  large tracts of land that would be built upon the
  labor of the captured natives.
• Started the Encomienda system.
• Encomienda ? large tract of land, usually a
  plantation.
• In this system, people would be sold an
  encomienda and then could tax the peasants as
  they saw fit.
• Used this system to force the natives to work in
  lieu of paying taxes
• Led to massive abuse which would kill off many of
  the natives

15
Bartolome de las Casas

• The Spanish saw it fit to Christianize the
  natives as a way of civilizing them and saving
  their souls.
• Bartolome de las Casas ? Spanish missionary who
  was appalled at the treatment of the natives and
  helped bring out a law that would prohibit
  slavery
• This law would lead to the dubious practice of
  importing African slaves.

16
Brazil

• The Portuguese would colonize Brazil in search of
  gold and other fine materials and resources.
• Would establish their own plantations or
  feitorias (bases and warehouses used for trading).

17
Social Classes in the Colonies

Peninsulares The Spanish or Portuguese colonists themselves. They are of pure blood and the highest class in the system
Creoles/Criollos These are Spanish children born the colonies and exercise considerable power.
Mestizos These are mixed blood children born to Spanish/Portuguese and native parents. They are considered upper-lower class.
Natives The Native Americans made up the second to lowest class within the social structure
Mulattos African slaves transported to the colonies, made up the lowest position in society.