European Footholds in North
America
Spanish and French and English (Oh, my!)
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• In 1580 C.E., King Philip
II of Spain claimed the
throne of Portugal.
• Bigger empire = bigger
competition from
Dutch, French, English.
• While Spain was the
biggest naval power
still, England would
challenge –reaching the
Tokugawa-ruled Japan.
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• Sebastian Vizacino;
ordered to explore the
California coast, but
went to Japan first.
• In 1613 C.E., he brought
180 Japanese with him
to Mexico.
• The idea was to link
Japan to Mexico and
Mexico to Spain. Why?
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• Tokugawa officials
feared tolerating
foreigners in Japan;
didn’t want Christians
challenging authority.
• Tokugawa Japan =
warlords. Warlords
finally at peace, so
officials feared
developing navies.
• So, what did Japan do?
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• Money started
disappearing in Spain,
so they postponed
plans for colonization of
California. Why no
money?
• Due to lack of funds,
Spain feared the worse
for it’s other two
colonies – Florida and
New Mexico.
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• On a separate sheet of
paper, answer the
following questions –
• 1. What are similarities
between Tokugawa
Japan and Ming China
(think Zheng He)?
• 2. In what ways do you
think Pacific exploration
would have been
different if Japan didn’t
isolate themselves?
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• Speaking of New
Mexico – in 1589 C.E.,
Juan de Onate set out
with 500 men, women,
and children into the
northern Rio Grande
Valley.
• With Fransican friars,
they expected to
convert Pueblos to
Christianity.
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• Onate underestimated
difficulties
• Acoma Pueblos killed
11 of his soldiers in
1599 C.E.
• Onate retaliated by
killing 800 Acoma and
enslaved 600 others.
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• More troubles for
Onate –
• After Onate returned to
NM from the Great
Plains, 2/3 of his colony
returned to Mexico due
to drought.
• Onate decided to look
west – why?
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• New Mexican Hispanics
were getting desperate
for help –
• Strapped for food,
clothing; demanded
tribute from local native
peoples.
• Spanish soldiers would
strip the robes off women
in winter for warmth;
tortured others to find
food.
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• Some Pueblo accepted
conversion to
Christianity; fear of
Spanish and Apache
raids.
• In 1608 C.E., Spain
threatened to abandon
NM.
• Fransicans begged the
king to not do this –
Why?
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• Spain decided to hold
onto NM.
• In 1610 C.E., the new
governor of NM (with
only 50 colonists),
created Santa Fe.
• Within 20 years, 750
colonists inhabited NM
– Spanish, Mexican
Indians, Africans, and
mixed-race children.
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• Encomiendas – Allowed
privileged colonists land
and Native American
“workers”.
• Franciscan missionaries
rose rapidly.
• Franciscans forbade
Pueblo tradition and
forced them to learn
Spanish.
Spain’s Ocean-Spanning Reach
• Pueblo traditions
carried on in secret.
• Spanish introduced
peaches, plums,
cherries, metal hoes,
axes, donkeys, chickens,
and sheep.
• 60,000 Pueblo in NM in
1600 C.E.; 30,000 in
1650; 15,000 in 1680.