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After Columbus, conquistadors were lured to the new world by the prospect of striking it rich
Cortez set off to conquer the Aztecs upon hearing about their vast riches
Upon first glance, the Spanish were amazed by Tenochtitlan

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The Aztec first agreed to give a portion of their gold to Cortez
The Aztec rebelled in the spring of 1520
Disease left the Aztec little hope
Cortez quickly made plans for the colony of New Spain

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The Spanish lived among the natives and forced their culture upon them
Often peninsulares often married native women and created a large mestizo
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Spanish forced the natives to work in the encomienda
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1542, the encomienda was abolished

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Juan Ponce de Leon
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Pedro Menendez Aviles
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Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

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After Coronado, most Spaniards went to
New Mexico to spread Christianity
Sought to transform the Native Americans’ culture
Priests and soldiers began forcing Native
Americans to pay tributes
Pueblo religious leader, Pope, was whipped and beaten for his “witchcraft”
1680 - Drove the Spanish out of New Mexico
Spain would never again have complete control of the Americas

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English colonies were originally joint- stock companies
1606, King James I granted a charter to the Virginia Company
1607, the VA Company’s three ships led by John Smith landed in Virginia
Named the settlement Jamestown

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“There was no talk, no hope, no work, but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold.”
1607, only 38 of the original 150 settlers remained alive
1609, 600 new colonists arrived
Winter of 1609 = The “Starving Time”

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John Rolfe introduced tobacco to the region
Virginia Company introduced a headright system
Many indentured servants were brought over to work plantations
Africans began to arrive in the colonies

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English settlers had no desire to live among or intermarry with the Native
Americans
Leaders demanded tributes from the
Powhatan
Chief Opechancanough attacked
Jamestown in retaliation
King James I made Virginia a royal colony

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During 1660s and 1670s, Virginia’s poor settlers very unhappy
Berkeley imposed high taxes
1675, bloody clash between frontier settlers and local native tribes
1676, Nathaniel Bacon raised an army
Marched on the colony and drove
Berkeley out