Transcript European Age of Exploration

European Age of
Exploration
{ Rape, Murder, Genocide,
Slavery, and Exploitation
Henry the Navigator (1394-1460)
Third son of the Portuguese King
Became fascinated with Africa after conquering
the Muslim city of Ceuta
- Encountered the Trans Saharan Trade
Sponsored a number of exploratory voyages
- Sailed to and colonized the Azores (1427)
- Conquered the Canary Islands
- Reached the African coast south of the Sahara
Encomienda System

Began during the Reconquista
- Helped Spanish to govern conquered land

Nobles could claim conquered land (Haciendas)
- Did not actually own land (belonged to crown)
- Made people living there work for the
- Nobles responsible for souls of tenants

Important for second and third sons
Conquest of the Yucatan

“The Maya” actually refer to a language
group
- About 120 related languages


Many “lowland” Maya lived on the
Yucatan
By 1440 the last major city was abandoned
- 16-18 Political alliances of villages
Conquest of the Yucatan

First attempt to conquer Yucatan ended
poorly
- Spanish got raped (figuratively)
- Mayans were great at ambushing
- Spanish begin settlement in 1526 (under
Montejo)
- By 1535 they are all dead or have left
What were some of the challenges the
Spanish faced in their first attempt to
conquer the Yucatan?
Conquest of the Yucatan

Between 1535 and 1540 there is a Mayan
civil war
- Xiu vs. Cocom (powerful Mayan families)

Spanish (under Montejo's son) find
conquest much easier when they return
- Joined by the Xiu
- Europeans wage total war

Also a drought and a famine
Francisco Pizarro

The Incan Empire was on the verge of collapse
- Bureaucracy build on expansion of territory
- What are problems you can foresee with this?
- Several civil wars over succession
- Nationalism of ethnic groups within the Empire

Pizarro led several expeditions attempting to
conquer Andes
- Largest and the successful one was in 1530
Machu Picchu
Francisco Pizarro

Captured the Incan ruler, Atahualpa, in 1532
- Forced him to fill a 374sq.ft. room with Gold
- Executed Atahualpa anyway
- Killed by a garrote (his wind pipe was slowly
crushed)

Captured the city of Cuzco the same year
- Some Andeans escape to the Punas (grasslands over
10500 ft)
Make a list: What were some of the
causes of Spanish
Exploration/Domination in the “New
World”?
What were some factors that helped
them succeed in their domination of
indigenous empires?
Hernando Cortez
• Young Nobleman who traveled to the New World
• Defied order from Governor of Cuba and led an
expedition to Mexico
- Eventually got recognition from the crown
• Conquered the Aztec people
- Allied with Tlaxcala and other native groups
- Aztec population had been devastated by smallpox
- Superior weapons and armor
• Did they view him as a god?