Chapter 2 Section 3
Spain in America Day 1: Central
America
How and why did the Spanish to
conquer the Incas and Aztecs?
Do Now:
• Add to the web on the board, “ Why Spain
explored the Americas”
European Explorer and Conquerors
• Conquistadors:
– Searched for gold
(they had heard many
rumors)
– Were given authority
to explore and
establish settlements
– 1/5 of whatever gold
they found would go
to Spain
Conquest of Mexico and Peru
• Two very rich nations in the Americas
– The Aztec (what is now Mexico)
– The Inca (what is now Peru)
Cortes and the Aztecs
• 1519 Conquistador, Hernan Cortes landed in
Mexico.
• Within two years he conquered the Aztecs and
seized all their gold - Video
• Questions:
– How do you think he did this?
– What were his advantages?
– What effect did this have on future expeditions?
Pizarro and the Incas
• 1527, Conquistador Francisco Pizarro sets out
to conquer the Incas successfully.
– Inspired by Cortes’ success
– Conquered the Incan empire and gained its wealth
– Video
Why Spain was successful
• Come up with a
hypothesis as to why
such a small force of
only a few hundred men
could conquer a highly
developed civilization of
several million people.
• Share your hypothesis
by adding to the web on
the board
Why Spain was successful
• Spanish Advantages
– Shock and awe
• Weapons the Aztecs had never seen
– Guns and cannons/ steel armor
• Animals they had never seen
– Horses and dogs
– Alliances
• Cortes recruited local tribes who disliked the Aztec (the Aztec
had dominated them/ demanded sacrifices from them
– Disease
• Native Americans had no immunity to European diseases such
as smallpox
• Millions died from coming in contact with these germs
Spain in North America
• How might have Cortes and Pizarro influenced
Spanish exploration of North America?
Closure (Day 1)
• Left side open ended response: (and share)
How and why did the Spanish conquer the
Incas and Aztecs?
Spain in the Americas: Day 2
(North America)
How did Spanish desire for wealth
affect their relationship with Native
Americans?
Do Now:
• Write a paragraph hypothesizing how you
think the success of Pizarro and Cortes
inspired further exploration in other areas.
Spain in North America
• Juan Ponce de Leon
– Looking for:
http://rs1img.memecdn.com/fountain-ofyouth-fail_o_834208.gif
• Gold
• RUMORED to have been
searching for Fountain of
Youth “A spring of running
water of such marvelous
virtue that drinking it makes
men young again.” Many
historians debate this fact and
say that this is a myth.
– His search led to the Spanish
settlement of Florida
The Seven Cities of Gold
• There were more rumors of
rich cities, specifically
seven of them, north of
Mexico.
• Why do you think these
rumors came about?
• These rumors inspired
other explorers, namely,
Hernando de Soto and
Francisco Vasquez de
Coronado.
Hernando de Soto
• Explored from Florida to what is now
Oklahoma in search of rich cities.
• Never found them.
• Mapped this region. -map
Francisco Coronado
• Explored what is now Southwest US in search
of gold.
• Found no gold.
• Mapped the region.- map
Three types of Spanish Settlements
• Pueblos
– Small trading towns
• Missions
– Religious communities
(designed for conversion
of NA people)
• Presidio
– A type of fort built near a
mansion
Generate 3 Q’s about pic
The Spanish and Native Americans
• What was purpose of setting up settlements?
– GOLD $$$$$$$$$
• Spanish conquistadors were given authority to set
up settlements
– They were also given authority to demand from NAs
• TAXES
• FORCED LABOR
Gold and Native Americans
– Turned into a
form of slavery
especially when it
came to mining
metals (silver/
gold) or farming
• Many died from
forced labor
• Later laws were
passed to outlaw
enslaving NA
(1542) but not
these laws were
not always
enforced
Farming and Native Americans
• Not all Spanish sought mining and
gold.
• Others tried to make money from
farming.
– Spanish population low. Farming
needs a lot of workers.
– So they used the NA (forced labor)
– This was known as the “Plantation
system” and is a system which tends
to use slaves
• First used NA
• Later suggested African slaves
Effect on NA Life
• How do you think Native
Americans will begin to
view the Spanish and
Europeans in general?
Closure:
– Write a journal entry as a young Native
American in Santa Fe. What is your experience
of the Spanish? What was life like before?
After?
• Address the following:
–Farming/ mining
–Religious conversion
–Conditions of forced labor