Download The Exploration and Colonization of the Americas

The Exploration and
Colonization of the Americas
Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506)
•Explorer, colonizer, and navigator.
•Born in the Republic of Genoa, Italy.
•With the approval and support of the Catholics
Monarchs made four successful voyages to the
New World (Islands of Hispaniola and the
Americas).
The 4 voyages of Christopher Columbus
Charles I of Spain
24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558
Themes underlying the colonization of regions
•European countries were fighting religious wars
with Muslim states of Northern Africa…
•The Reconquista (The Reconquest) was a period
of 800 years of war.
•700 A.D. – 1492 A.D.
•800 Years of war was costly and money,
commodities, and resources were needed to fight:
-Exotic foods and spices.
-Plants and linens.
-Precious metals (gold, silver, and bronze) that
could be melted down to create weapons and
which also served as money.
-Labor (slavery)
•Christianization of the New World.
The Conquest of Tenochtitlan (1521)
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro (1485 – 1547)
•Born 1484 in Medillin, Extremadura, Spain.
•Studied law at the University of Salamanca but
dropped out to move to the Americas (Cuba) in
1504, he was 19.
•Became secretary to the Governor of Cuba,
Diego Velázquez.
•1518 Velázquez appoints Cortez to an
expedition beyond the island of Cuba, the third
in a series of trips.
•Personal problems develop between
Velázquez and Cortez and the appointment is
retracted.
•2/10/1519 Cortez sails despite orders not too.
•11 galleons, 110 sailors, 500 soldiers, 32
crossbow, 14 pieces of artillery, 16 horses.
The Conquest of Tenochtitlan (1521)
La Malinche (c. 1496 or c. 1505 – c. 1529)
Malintzin, Malinalli or Doña Marina
•Aztec noble woman by birth sold as a
slave to the Tabascans of the Gulf
Coast of Mexico.
•A member of the 20 woman given to
Cortez after the Tabascans were
defeated in a short battle in 1519.
•Spoke Nahuatl, Maya, and learned
Spanish quickly…
•Mistress to Cortez and bore him a son
– Martin Cortez Tenepal.
•Later married Captain Juan Jaramillo in
marriage, a close associate of Cortez.
Pedro de Alvarado
Extremadura, Spain, ca. 1485 or ca. 1495
Died Guadalajara, New Spain, 4 July 1541
•Captain in Cortez’s army.
•Skilled military man, participated
in the conquest of Cuba.
•Took charge of Tenochtitlan, while
Cortez was in the Gulf Coast.
Ordered the massacre of hundreds
of unarmed Aztecs nobles and
commoners.
•Chase out of Tenochtitlan by
Aztec rebellion…
•1523 to 1527 conquered
Guatemala and El Salvador…
•Governor of Guatemala…
Cuauhtémoc (Descending Eagle)
c. 14951 – 28 February 1525
Aztec ruler (Tlatoani) 1520 to 1521. Last Aztec ruler…
•Nephew of Moctezuma II and son of Ahuitzotl and princess
Tilancapatl.
•In 1520, at the age of 24, took control of the Aztecs.
•Captured in 1521, tortured in 1525, and hanged in Honduras.
The conquest of Tenochtitlan TIMELINE
•February 10, 1519 – Cortez leaves Cuba.
•March 19, 1519 – Geronimo and La
Malinche join Cortez and the conquest.
•April 21, 1519 – Cortez establishes
Veracruz, assuming title Captain General.
•October 1519 – Spanish massacre hundreds of
Aztecs at Cholula.
•November 7, 1519 – Cortez and Moctezuma II
meet in Tenochtitlan.
•July 1, 1520 – Moctezuma II dies/killed.
•August – September, 1519 – Cortez battles •August 13, 1521 – Cuauhtémoc surrenders the
the Tlaxcalans.
city of Tenochtitlan.
The conquest: Reasons for Spanish success
•Technology: Steel weaponry aided Cortes. Horses, hunting dogs, swords, and cannons.
•Allies: City-states that resented the Aztec’s quickly turned against them, and formed thee bulk
of Cortez’s army.
•Religion: Moctezuma II was supposedly caught weary, believing that Cortez was Topiltzin –
Quetzalcoatl, a Toltec legendary leader returning for his people, and throne.
•Interpreters: Cortez’s translators (La Malinche and Jeronimo) provided vital support, and La
Malinche remained loyal to Cortez throughout the conquest.
•Diseases: Small pox, measles, killed off 80% of the Aztec population by 1521.