1.2:

Spanish

Conquests in the

Americas AMERICAN HISTORY I

UNIT 1 – EXPLORATION AND COLONIZATION

DAY 2 – EARLY EXPLORERS

Objectives

TSWBAT

Identify the reasons for

Columbus’ voyage

Examine the relationship

between Columbus and the

Native Americans

Create a Facebook Page about

someone in the Era of Exploration

Map of the world pre-1492

How does this differ from the modern world map?

World Map (present)

Christopher Columbus (Italian)

Sailed for Spain

Came to the New World in

1492…

Goal: Find a water route to

Asia

Landed in the Bahamas (San

Salvador Island)

Used it for natural resources

(wood, sugar cane, etc.)

He had three ships…

Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria (his

ship)

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

In 1493, he returned to make slaves of all he’d see.

“One of the greatest mariners in history, a visionary genius, a mystic, a national hero, a failed administrator, a naïve entrepreneur, and a ruthless and greedy imperialist.”

From The Library of Congress’ 1429: AN ONGOING VOYAGE

The Four Voyages of Columbus

Hernándo Cortés

Landed in Mexico (Yucatán

Peninsula) in 1519

He carried a group of

conquistadors (conquerors)

These were men searching for

riches

He conquered the Aztec ruler Montezuma

The Aztecs thought Cortés was

the god Quetzalcóatl (a fair

skinned, bearded deity)

The Spanish take over and

destroy Tenochtitlán

Most Aztecs were killed by

disease (smallpox)

Cortés Reaches the Aztecs

Francisco Pizarro

Conquered the Incas in

1532

He arrived during a civil war

They captured Atahualpa, the ruler of the Incas

He was ransomed for a room of gold and two rooms of silver

Atahualpa was strangled after the ransom was paid

Ended the Incan Empire

Spanish American Society

Spain dominated the early

Americas

They set up encomiendas –

(huge farms)

The Native Americans

worked the fields

They grew sugar cane, etc.

They converted Indians to

Catholicism

The Spanish killed most

Native Americans…By work

or Disease

Columbus Review

http://www.history.com/shows/mankind-the-story-

of-all-of-us/videos/mankind-the-story-of-all-of-us-

columbus-sails-

west?m=5189719baf036&s=All&f=1&free=false

Changes in America…starting with Columbus’ voyage.

Conquistadors colonize

the Southwest United States.

Pizarro conquers the Inca.

Cortés defeats the Aztecs.

Columbus arrives in Americas. 1.

2.

3.

4.

Vocabulary

Christopher Columbus

Hernándo Cortés

Francisco Pizarro

encomienda

Questions

1. What were two implications of Columbus’

landing in the Americas (Caribbean) ?

2. What were the two main killers of native

Americans after the Spanish reached the

New World?

3. How did the Incan empire end?

4. What was the large farm system that was

introduced by the Spanish?