Transcript Document
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