Located in South AmericaIncans forced surrounding people to join the

Empire or they would be killed. The Incan Empire had benefits (crop houses- no starving)Cortes’ success encouraged Francisco Pizarro (12 years later) to lead an army into the Inca

capital in Cuzco, Peru.The Incan emperor Atahualpa ordered his men not to attack the Spanish so the small force of

Spanish conquistadors were able to defeat them.

The Spanish arrested and captured the Incan ruler and Pizarro controlled the now weakened

Incan Empire.

Located in now Mexico and Central AmericaAztecs became a strong empire by

conquering their neighbors.Religion played large part- Aztecs made 18

human sacrifices are year to their God (usually prisoners.

In 1519 Hernan Cortes landed on the East Coast of present-day Mexico. Within two

years he conquered the Aztec Empire and their gold by siding with Aztec enemies (small pox killed many Aztec warriors).

Conquest ofAztecs and Incans

Aztecs Incans

April 2nd, 1513 Spanish Explorer Juan Ponce de Leon came ashore on the Florida coast and claimed

the territory for the Spanish crown. He landed in Florida, which had many wildflowers and fragrant

plants, during Easter so he named the land La Florida because in

Spain Easter is known as Pascua Florida or “Flowery Easter”.

Spain in Florida

Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine,

Florida.

Ponce de Leon was not only searching for gold, he was also

searching for the Fountain of Youth (which he never found).

King Ferdinand made Juan Ponce de Leon governor of Florida. So he

brought back 200 Spanish settlers in 1521.Native Americans, Calusa, attacked this settlement and Ponce

de Leon died from wounds a few days later.

Spanish Settlements◦ Spanish Law called for three kinds of

Settlements in the Americas:◦ Pueblos- towns (centers of trade)◦Missions- religious communities (small

town) surrounding farmland and a church. ◦ Presido- Forts built near Missions

Some settlers profited by exporting crops and raw materials to Spain. In the West Indies the main exports were tobacco and sugar cane. The Spanish raised these crops on plantations and use Native Americans as plantation workers.

Plantations- Large farms on islands in the Caribbean on which Native Americans were forced to produce sugar

◦ Class System: 1)Peninsulares-

People who were born in Spain, owned land, served in the Catholic Church, and ran the local

government.

2) Creoles-

Born in Americas to Spanish parents.

3) Mestizos-

People with Spanish and Native American Parents.

4) Native Americans-

Often very poor

5) African Americans-

Slaves