CONQUEST OF THE
NEW WORLD
TERMS TO KNOW FROM THIS LECTURE:
Black Legend
Conquistador
Cacique
Hernán Cortes
Bartolome de las
Casas
Taino
Requerimiento
Encomendero
Panfilo de Narvaez
Cabeza de Vaca
Hernando de Soto
Mabila
Imperium
Anacaona
PTOLOMY’S MAP
MARTIN WALDSEEMULLER
1507
OPENING THE SOUTH ATLANTIC
Portugal firmly established itself within Africa by the 1440s
There they traded for gold, ivory, and African slaves to work new
sugar plantations throughout the Mediterranean
European expansion into the Atlantic led to a 400% growth for the
economy in just five years.
1ST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
CARIBBEAN
Encountered the Taino in 1492 and
established an alliance with the most
powerful chief or cacique,
Guacanagari
Described them as a generous and
kind people
2ND VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS
1493-1496
LATER VOYAGES
 Things fell apart as violence
becomes the mode of
interaction
 Bartolome Columbus
(brother)
 1498- 300 Indian slaves
sent to Castile
3RD VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS
1498-1500
4TH VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS
1502-1504
LADY ANACAONA
1503, Anacaona the last leader of the
Taino at the province of Xaragua
In less than 2 decades war and forced
labor devastated the Taino
CONQUEST
Puerto Rico, 1507, established settlements and
assigned encomiendas
Cuba, 1511, 330 conquistadores arrive
1509-1514 handful of pigs in Cuba are now
30,000
PONCE DE LEON
March 28, 1513 arrives on Easter Day, Pascua Florida
TREATY OF TORDESILLA
ENCOUNTER
Spanish Inquisition "missionaries" putting the
Bull of Borgia into effect in the New World!!
ENCOMENDERO
THE BLACK
LEGEND
GUAMAN POMA DE AYALA, "THE
PUNISHMENTS DELIVERED BY THE
CORREGIDOR DE MINAS" (1615)
BARTOLOME DE LAS CASAS
DEVASTATION OF THE INDIES
SMALL POX AND THE
BIOLOGICAL CONQUEST OF
THE NEW WORLD
7 Myths of Spanish Conquest
The Myth of the Exceptional Men
The Myth of the Kings Army
The Myth of the White Conquistador
The Myth of Completion
The Myth of (Mis)Communication
The Myth of Native Desolation
The Myth of Superiority
REQUERIMIENTO
RECONQUISTA-REPARTIMIENTO
 Repartimiento- A system of tribute that was tantamount to Indian slavery
 1502, Nicolas Ovando, first real governor of the Indies arrives in Santo
Domingo with strict instructions from the King and Queen “You will see to
it that the Indians are well treated, that they may go safely throughout
the land, and that no one may use force against them, or rob them, or
do any other evil or harm to them...”
REQUIRIMIENTO IMPLEMENTED
To be read to all Indians encountered
Contained a brief history of the world
Explained the Papal donation of the Indies to Spain (in the Treaty of
Tordesillas of 1494)
Natives were then required to accept the two conditions noted within.
If they did not comply, slavery would commence
Encomienda – land and people given by the Spanish
Crown to those who aided in colonization (conquistadors). The minerals
below the ground belonged to the crown though.
Repartimiento – the people (Indians) living on the
encomienda and their labor was to be owned by the encomendero. In
exchange the encomendero was to take care of the spiritual needs of
the people.
CUBA
1511-1514
Spaniard conquer Cuba. Diego Velázquez is the first governor. Plans begin to expand
exploration.
1511
Father Jeronimo de Aguilar is ship wrecked after striking the shoals of Jamaica and
lands on the Yucatán. He and others are taken captive. He learns the Chontal Mayan
language.
1517
A first attempt to reach Mexico. The expedition lands on the Yucatán peninsula and is
attacked and forced to return to Cuba, unsuccessful.
1518
Grijalva mounts an expedition and finds pyramids and evidence of human sacrifice.