European Colonization Essay

Hernan Cortés was born at Medellin in Spain in the year 1485 and eventually became one of the great Governors of Mexico City. Cortés’ way of heading to the top to get noticed was by the Governor of Cuba, Diego Velazquez. He placed Cortes in charge of an expedition to colonize Mexico. He had many great success; he claimed land for Spanish Crown King, Charles V. Since Cortés claimed it for King Charles V he was named the Governor and Captain General of Mexico in 1523. He had many great successes that

Nick Schweitzer Malintzin’s Choices Malintzin had an important role in the ancient history and colonization of Latin America. She would rise from just a simple servant girl and slave, to become one of the key factors of the Spanish colonization of the indigenous natives in the New World. She helped translate for the Spanish conquistadors and even Hernando Cortés himself. Malintzin’s interpreting skills would prove crucial in the dealings between Hernando Cortés and the Aztec emperor Montezuma

customs and practices in order to assimilate into the majority. However, there are some circumstances in which the minority somehow becomes able to overpower majority and take control. This is the situation which occurred between the Natives and the Europeans during the 1513 conquest. The Spanish Conquest of Central and South America and the voyage to the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492 brought the Spanish crown a great amount of wealth. The native inhabitants which resided in the Americas prior

Every schoolchild knows that “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” This voyage was the gateway to an age of exploration, triumph, and ruin. Columbus’s voyage introduced the world to a new land and many opportunities. Powerful countries immediately scrambled to grab as much of it for themselves as they could. Two of the most powerful ones were England and Spain. Both wanted a piece of the new land, a way to grow economically or to escape persecution. Even though they had similar goals in mind

Is Diaz’s Account Reliable? Before the 15th century, the Indians in the Americas were not connected with the world and would remain that way until Columbus's exploration. In the beginning of 15th century, the Aztecs were the dominant group in Mesoamerica leaded by Montezuma, the last leader, before the Spanish conquest. In 1519, Hernan Cortez led the Spanish mission to explore and conquer the New World. This paper will compare three primary sources about this event. First, an informing letter sent

I am going to read about three ancient native empires. They are called the Inca, Maya, and the Aztecs. They were all ancient and well known empires. The Inca and Aztecs Empires were both conquered by Spanish conquistadores. The Maya Empire was abandoned. No one knows why. First I shall talk to you about the Inca’s, then, the Maya’s, and finally the Aztecs. The Inca became a tribe in 1200 B.C., in the Cuzco area of southwestern Peru. The other names for the Inca’s were/are Inka, Tahuantinsuyu, or

Introduction: THE SPANISH CONQUEST of the Americas is an interesting story of exploration, wealth, greed, devastation and death. The Aztec civilization, which lived in what we know today as central and South America, began to come under threat from European explorers during the late 15th century. The Aztec civilization was one of the most spectacular in the world, and at its heart was the masterpiece of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. However, the prosperity and wonder of the Aztecs came to an end

Since the arrival of Columbus to the New World in 1492, it began a new era for the Spanish Empire. During this time Spain successfully conducted the Reconquista back home and were power hungry for more land to conquer to keep the momentum going. The early explorations would lead to bigger conquest and fortunes for the Spaniards. After the reunification of Spain with Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, they financed the expedition for the Genoese explorer, Christopher Columbus, for trading routes

the Spanish crown. Even though the encomienda was executed for the care and to provide for the Native Americans as of result, it was disastrous to New Spain. The Indians were mistreated by their supposed protectors and they were defenseless against European diseases such as small pox and measles to which they had no immunity. These Indians perished in large numbers. Figures one and two display natives working in the encomienda and African slaves working on the plantations. By understanding what an encomienda

The original motivations for the Spaniards going to the New World were to spread Christianity and grow wealthy; however, when they arrived, the actions of the Spaniards against the natives of the Americas did not reflect these original goals and led to unanticipated consequences. One such unexpected consequence was a reliance on slave labor. In order to accomplish the work necessary to make the profits that the Spaniards had expected, they turned to the natives as a work force. This need for laborers