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The Aztecs are Conquered
 Hernando
Cuba
Cortes had arrived in Mexico from
 He
had begun establishing colonies on the
islands of the Caribbean Sea
 Because
of stories of great wealth and riches,
Cortes was encouraged to gain some of the
Aztecs’ land and wealth
Disadvantages vs.
Advantages
 Cortes
was one group of Spanish soldiers who
became known as conquistadors
 His
challenge: His army was greatly
outnumbered (only about 500 men)
 Cortes
had metal armor to protect his men
against the Aztec stone weapons
 They
also had muskets and horses
Allies
 Cortes
had made allies who were willing
to fight with the Spanish, many of these
people did not want to live under Aztec
rule
 Dona
Marina was an Aztec woman who
had become a Christian. She was willing
to help Cortes fight
 She
helped communicate to the native
people of Mexico
Allies unknown
 The
Spanish did not realize it at the time, but
they carried a germ that spread smallpox
 Some
say thousands of Aztecs caught Smallpox
after Cortes arrived
 When
Cortes returned late in 1520 with many
more allies, the mighty empire of the Aztecs fell
Founding New Spain
 After
the conquest of the Aztecs, the Spanish
destroyed Tenochtitlan.
 Smallpox
once again helped the Spanish by
spreading disease throughout Mexico
 Spain
established the colony of New Spain
with a capital of Mexico City
Making New
Spain home
 Spanish
officials came to set up a government,
make laws, and build schools and universities.
 Roman
Catholic priests came to convert the
native people to Christianity
 Spanish
leaders discouraged natives from
continuing to sacrifice people to their gods
 Colonists
also came to New Spain to live
Conquests Continue
 The
Inca Empire lay to the South, which controlled a
huge portion of the land in western South America
 Ten
years after the Spanish began their conquest,
they sent Francisco Pizarro to conquer the Incas
 By
1532, Pizarro captured Cuzco, the capital city of
the Empire. By 1535 a new capital was formed
(Lima)
A
new culture was born – part Spanish, part Indian
Search for Gold
 Hernando
de Soto led expeditions to search
for gold and other riches in the Americas
 One
story told was about the kingdom of
Cibola
 The
legend told by Esteban (once enslaved)
about Cibola did not fade
 Many
could not find this city, some feel it is
because it did not exist
Explorer Map
 Label
the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic ocean
and the Pacific Ocean
 Color land and water
 Label and trace routes of 4 different
explorers
 Create a map key
Society in
New Spain
A
new way of life had formed in New Spain as
more and more colonists came to live
 At
the top of society were the peninsulares,
which were people born in Spain
 Next,
came creoles – people who have a
Spanish background but were born in America
 Mestizos
followed and were the largest group
(mixed Indian and Spanish background
Peninsulares
 They
were wealthy and powerful
 They
owned plantations or large farms with
many workers
 Other
peninsulares received grants called
encomienda which granted control of all
natives who lived on an area of land
In cities
 Colonists
became merchants and
shopkeepers
 They
would work for the colonial
government
 Some
had small businesses where they
made furniture or clothing
More Changes for
Natives
 Many
encomienda owners put the natives to
work as farmers, miners, and servants
 Some
were forced to work and did not even
have enough to eat
 One
type of encomineda was run by Catholic
missionaries who would try to teach the ways
of their religion. Sometimes they even taught
European farming practices
Speaking Out
A
priest named Bartolome de Las Casas spoke
out against the mistreatment of native people
 His
efforts had some success because he
persuaded Spain to pass laws in 1542 saying
the natives must be paid for their work
 However,
these laws were not really enforced