The bringing of Europeans in the New World started a tremendous amount of exchanges such as crops, commodities, modalities, and techniques. The first and far most important period of this exchange was managed under the control of the Spanish victors. The Spanish Victors had quickly conquered every Indian population in the 16th century. Over the next 3 years, most of the new lands that had been discovered were administered by a colonial system that imposed greatly Iberian Christian lifestyle. The lifestyle that evolved over time in Latin America was the outcome of the native Indians and black slaves that were imported. The original Spanish exploration period of the Caribbean had been dominated by searching for treasure. The “Indies,” as they …show more content…
Hernan had begun to construct Mexico City with stones from the pyramids. 10 years later, a man named Francisco Pizarro had used tactics of Hernan Cortez to overthrow the Inca Empire in South America. There were rumors that Pizarro had followed that helped find gold in the south. By 1532, Pizarro had seized the capital of Inca. The capital of Inca was Cuzco. At the time, Cuzco was involved in civil war. There were many viruses happening such as smallpox, measles, and influenza. These pandemics were carried by the Spaniards. Pizarro and his so called “army” had tried to take then King of Inca hostage and destroy the establishment of the Peruvian valleys, and they succeeded. Some of the imperial family members had escaped to high mountains and tried to rule from the mountains for a mere 30 years before they were …show more content…
Mining was the number 1 priority. Agricultural estates were produced a lot of food for the miners. They had handcraft industries which produced gloves, textiles and were operated by blacksmiths. There were little to none exports that wasn’t bullion, sugar, indigo, or tobacco. However, there were restrictions on exports. The right to export had been limited to the Spanish merchants. The fleets could on sail 2 times a year. These restrictions were put into place so it could be protected by the pirates and so they could limit the goods that were exported to and from the
The greed for gold and the race for El Dorado were the main inducements of the Spaniards who, at the peril of their lives, crossed the ocean in unfit vessels in a mad pursuit after the gold and all other precious property of the Indians” (Peace 479). The royal rulers of Spain made it a rule that nothing would jeopardize their ability to rob the land from the native people of Latin America. The missionary process, “had to be encouraged, but the missionaries could not be permitted to dominate the colony at the cost of royal rule” (Gibson 76). The European governments established missionaries to cleanse their minds of any guilt aroused by the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children. When European “ships arrived in the 16th century to colonize the land and exploit its natural resources, they killed indigenous people and brought black slaves from Africa. Millions of indigenous people were slain and their cultures completely destroyed by the process of colonization” (Ribero). The overall devastations caused by the Christianization of the native inhabitants created a blend of cultures within the indigenous civilizations which gradually isolated old native ways into a small population of oppressed people. The Christianized people became a symbol of loyalty to the European powers and were left alone simply on their religious status. This long term mission of total religious replacement caused very strong and advanced
As we enter the book we are welcomed with a great deal of details about Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca’s early life and his ancestors. As we Cabeza de Vaca was growing up, Spain was vying with Portugal to find a new sea route to eastern Asia and its market of spices, silks, carpets, and gems. During Alvar’s childhood Columbus’s discoveries emerged in Europe. Amerigo Vespucci said it wasn’t Asia but a “New World” but everyone ignored him and kept calling it the Indies. We are also told that artisans and hidalgos weren’t sailing to the unknown lands to simply wonder around the land but to expand the Spanish territory. They wanted to spread Christianity and find gold and silver, Spain reasons for conquering the new world, fertile lands for growing cash crops and raising livestock, and people willing to work in the mines or fields.
1. Before the Europeans arrived, "the New World actually contained flourishing civilizations populated by millions of people" (Duiker 397). However, the Europeans would change that. It started with the Spanish conquests of the conquistadors, who were fueled by a "typical sixteenth-century blend of glory, greed, and religious zeal" (Duiker 397). Upon refusal from the Aztecs that they would not convert to Christianity, the technologically superior conquistadors began to destroy their shrines and fight the Aztec people.
The Spanish Empire’s Impact on the New World Christopher Columbus first set foot on the shores of what would later be known as the Americas, not knowing the profound impact it would have. This event marked the beginning of the Spanish’s dominance in what would be called the New World. This moment led to the Spanish attempting to exploit and explore the Americas. The Spanish later dominated numerous colonies in the New World, achieving economic power and centralized control. Additionally, the Spanish spread their customs, beliefs, and faith throughout the regions they colonized.
During the 15th through 17th centuries, advancements in technology and the desire for new resources spurred the exploration of the New World for both Spain and England. Spain's interest in exploration soon surpassed the rest of the countries in the Old World and the nation began to claim the majority of territory in Central and South America. Spain sent conquistadores to assert their dominance in the New World through violent conquest which resulted in difficult relations with native populations. Although the English did not settle in North America until the early 17th century, well past the period of the Spanish conquest, their methods of colonization were more successful in the long term. The English were able to find economic success
Before the English ventured to Roanoke Europeans explored and settled the New World. The Spanish were the most successful in settling the New World. They conquered most of Central and South America. Their main objective was to convert all of the Indians to Christianity. “Spain’s claim to posses the Americas was based on discovery, conquest, and settlement, but even more important, it was founded on the sacred enterprise of extending the Catholic faith to (in Spanish eyes) “barbarous” native peoples” (Horn 12).
Spanish Colonization- Beginning with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 Spanish Colonization continued for centuries. The Spanish Empire eventually would include half of South America, most of Central America, and a lot of North America. The Spanish used the Encomienda System to control and use Native Americans. Spaniards received grants of Native Americans from the Spanish government who they could take tribute from in the form of goods or labor as long as they tried to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism. This system worked out horribly for the Native Americans with many treated harshly and forced to do hard physical labor. The Natives were not willing slaves though and rebelled numerous times which contributed to African slave labor replacing the Encomienda System. The Spanish intermarried with the Native Americans leading
Before Europeans landed in the Americas, Native Americans lived within various complex societies across modern day North and South America. Two of the greatest empires that existed at the time were the Aztecs located in modern central Mexico or at the time it was called Mesoamerica and the Incas located in modern Peru, these societies were unique because they were ruled by kings, nobles and warriors whereas most North American Natives were ruled by chiefdoms. North American Native’s religion consisted of animist quality- a belief that the natural world had spiritual powers. They applied this belief to everyday life- praying to be exempt from disease, good crops, and plenty of food. Some societies amongst many North American Natives were matriarchal for example in the Iroquois society power and possessions were passed down through the female line of authority. Most women were gatherers and watched over the towns and men hunted for food for their families, maize agriculture was popular amongst the Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes Natives. The Native Americans traded extensively before the Europeans arrived, for example there were annual trade fairs between the Navajos, Apaches and the Pueblos. In 1521, Hernan Cortes arrived in Mesoamerica and quickly overcame the Aztecs, not only by force but also disease. Europeans unknowingly brought many diseases, such as smallpox, influenza and measles, that the Native Americans were never exposed to and it was one of the biggest killers of the Natives. At first, Europeans forced Native Americans to be slaves and work on their plantations but soon they were replaced with the African slave.
Biological exchange was a significant factor in Europeans’ success in the New World in part because the widespread deaths of the Native Americans made it easier for Europeans to conquer and control them. Individual groups of Native Americans dwindled, leaving those who remained susceptible to English domination. In some cases, Europeans such as Cortés even used the mass deaths to place men loyal to them in leadership positions within the Native American peoples, which further compromised the strength of their nations (Jones, 54). Because the Native Americans were so easy to conquer, European explorers and settlers were able to easily establish lasting presences in the Americas.
A convoluted history between the Iberians and Indigenous people has raged on ever since Columbus discovered the Caribbean islands in 1492. When the Spaniards taught the natives how to write the Spanish language, the Indigenous people learned to represent themselves by writing letters to the King. Letters to the crown were superficially formulaic—its messages produced a tone of reverence at face value. However, the strategic techniques used by writers from both sides unveiled the letters’ exaggeration of reality and propagandistic essence. Cortes used quotes from significant people while appealing to tradition, whereas the natives were purposefully ambivalent and seeked out pity.
During the 15th through 16th centuries, The Portuguese and Spanish explorers were very attracted to valuable resources, new land, and trade routes. These motives encouraged them to seek out new explorations and search for items that would benefit their home countries. Common resources that both the Spanish and Portuguese sought out included silks, porcelain, spices, persian horses, silver, and gold (Chasteen, 2001). Although the Portuguese and Spanish explored and sought out new land for many of the same reasons, they also had some different causes for exploration which were often very specific to the needs and goals of Portugal and Spain.
Spain’s economic decisions were a key factor in the eventual colonial reasoning to separate from the crown. Spain, upon discovery of the new world, began vast mining operations extracting and exporting rare earth metals such as gold and silver. Spain needed these exports to finance the multiple wars it waged with England and later revolutionary France. By focusing on mining operations, Spain overlooked the possibility of the agricultural markets that could also bring in much needed revenue. But agriculture in the colonies were only to be used to feed the people and miners. Many creoles disagreed with Spain’s main focus on mining exports and began to sell some of their crops such as cocao, Oaxaca, and indigo as contraband. As this trend became more prominent, instead of stopping the sale all together, the farmers were instead taxed on the contraband they sold. By focusing on gold and silver, Spain also alienated itself from the rest of the world, and didn’t really have anything to offer or trade with the
The City of Cuzco, at 3,400 m above sea level, is located in a fertile alluvial valley fed by several rivers in the heart of the Central Peruvian Andes of South America. Under the rule of Inca Pachacuteq (Tito Cusi Inca Yupanqui), in the 15th century, the city was redesigned and remodelled after a pre-Inca occupation process of over 3,000 years, and became the capital of the Tawantinsuyu Inca Empire, which covered much of the South American Andes between the 15th and 16th centuries AD.
This whole journey started out with another one. Christopher Columbus was on an expedition to explore the unknown lands, but was in hopes of landing in India. He instead landed on a Caribbean island. This was great for Spain, and ultimately, they wanted what they saw. As stated by David Walbert from UNC School of Education, “ Immediately, the Spanish set about conquering the world they had discovered.” Another source from the National Park Service states that “ The spanish quickly spread to Puerto Rico in 1508, Jamaica in 1509, and to Cuba in 1511.” They showed quick enforcement of trying to be the alpha of the pack, which was in this case the Caribbean. Stated by Jeffrey Mantz “ Spain was the initial colonizer of the entire Caribbean, but contiguous Spanish settlement in the Caribbean was limited largely to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.” A statement from the book The Atlas of Central America and the Caribbean by The Diagram Group and David Lambert expresses “ By the mid 1520’s, newly founded Spanish cities stood in Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Panama, and elsewhere.” (Lambert 18) So the Spanish would do anything and everything to take over this new land, and obviously it was working, well at the time. So at this point in the essay, the Caribbean has been overthrown by spanish power, but the Caribbean is going to see a tug of war situation of their power from Great Britain as
When the Spanish first discovered the new world, the first thought to mind was to conquer it. Convinced that the people of the America were not civilized, they set about destroying much of what they found in this new land (Walbert, n/d). In time, the Spanish began building colonies starting by dividing the Americans into two parts named New Spain and Peru. The Spanish then built new roads that helped transport goods and people across the Empire; these roads also helped the Spanish control soldiers moving them from one place to another (Teacher sites, n/d). The Spanish also transferred germs and disease into the Americas during the Columbia Exchange, killing over twenty million Native Americans; who they previously treated horribly as slaves to do their deeds and build their new world. Along with the Colombia Exchange, the Spanish were able to use the land they stole to grow crops, goods, and other necessities for a new proud land (Teacher sites, n/d).