Conquistadors
By Sharon Fabian
Conquistadors -- Conquerors -- Soldiers from Spain, one of the world superpowers of the
1500s, who explored, conquered, and settled in the New World. They came looking for gold,
silver, land, and glory. Their equipment included cannons aboard their ships, iron weapons
including crossbows, swords, and spears, and iron armor.
1
Aztecs and Incas -- Native Americans who had developed and maintained civilizations in
America for hundreds of years. At the time of the conquistadors' invasion, the Aztec and Inca
armies had been weakened by civil wars. Their equipment included bronze and copper shields,
stone knives, and cloth armor.
2
Smallpox and measles -- Deadly diseases unknown in America before the arrival of the
Europeans. Smallpox and measles arrived with the invaders, and may have done more to
determine who would rule America than all of the weapons combined.
3
One historian who wrote about the Spanish explorers in the New World used these words to
describe the conquistadors; bravery, cruelty, endurance, greed, and suffering. Could all of these
words really describe the same group of people? Read about two of the Spanish conquistadors
and decide for yourself.
4
Hernan Cortes had been Chief Magistrate of Santiago, Cuba, but in 1518 he was appointed
"captain-general" of an expedition to search for gold and other riches in Mexico. To do that, he
set out to fight the Aztec civilization that was led by Moctezuma (also spelled "Montezuma").
Cortes arrived with blasts of cannon fire from his ships. This must have frightened Moctezuma
and his people, who had never used cannons, but they eventually welcomed Cortes and the
Spanish troops. Cortes used this situation to get into a position where he was able to massacre
thousands of Aztecs and take Moctezuma prisoner. At the same time, smallpox and measles
killed and weakened many more Aztecs. By 1521, the Aztec civilization had been conquered.
5
Francisco Pizarro set out in 1523 to explore and conquer what is now Peru, along the Pacific
Coast of South America. He too was searching for gold and other treasure. His journey took
him over snow-covered mountains and through scorching deserts as he fought to take over the
land of the Inca people. Pizarro captured the last Inca emperor, Atahuallpa, and had him killed
by strangulation, but the Incas did not give up. Other Inca leaders led the fight to get their
empire back until they were finally defeated in 1572.
6
Why were the Spanish explorers able to destroy the Incas and Aztecs? Here are some
possible reasons. The Native American's armies had already been weakened by civil wars. Their
armies were spread too thin, and the wars were getting too expensive. Also, their weapons were
no match for the iron weapons of the Spanish. Finally, smallpox and measles wiped out
thousands of the Incas and Aztecs and weakened their armies even more.
7
The Aztec and Inca civilizations became so weakened that the Spanish conquistadors were
able to take over. The same thing has happened over and over again throughout history in all
parts of the world -- one civilization conquers another. What would you call these explorers of
8
America? Some people call them heroes; some people call them criminals. The Spanish
explorers of the New World in the 1500s were called conquistadors.
Copyright © 2008 edHelper
Name _____________________________
Date ___________________
Class Period _______
Conquistadors
1. The _____ had iron weapons and armor.
A. English
B. Spanish
C. Incas
D. Aztecs
2. The Aztecs and Incas had _____.
A. Cloth armor
B. Aluminum armor
C. Iron armor
D. No armor
3. _____ defeated the Aztecs.
A. Moctezuma
B. Pizarro
C. Atahuallpa
D. Cortes
4. _____ defeated the Incas.
A. Atahuallpa
B. Cortes
C. Moctezuma
D. Pizarro
5. _____ led the Incas.
A. Atahuallpa
B. Moctezuma
C. Pizarro
D. Cortes
6. _____ led the Aztecs.
A. Pizarro
B. Cortes
C. Atahuallpa
D. Moctezuma
7. The word conquistador means _____.
A. Explorer
B. Hero
C. Criminal
D. Conqueror
8. _____ contributed to the defeat of the
Aztec and Inca civilizations.
A. Iron weapons
B. Diseases
C. Civil wars
D. All of the above