Lesson 3: Spanish Colonization and New Spain

Question 1

Bartolomé de Las Casas Definition

Answer 1

A priest who helped to establish laws that gave Native Americans rights

Question 2

Borderland Definition

Answer 2

Land along a frontier

Question 3

Cabeza de Vaca Definition

Answer 3

A Spanish explorer that led an expedition through Texas

Question 4

Conquistador Definition

Answer 4

A Spanish explorer who claimed lands in America for Spain

Question 5

Creole Definition

Answer 5

A person born in Spain’s American colonies to Spanish parents

Question 6

Encomienda Definition

Answer 6

An area of land granted to a Spanish settler with the legal permission to demand labor or taxes from Native Americans

Question 7

Francisco Coronado Definition

Answer 7

A conquistador who led an expedition through much of the Southwest in search of the golden city

Question 8

Hernando Cortés Definition

Answer 8

A Spanish soldier and explorer who conquered the Aztec empire

Question 9

Hernando de Soto Definition

Answer 9

A Spanish conquistador and explorer who led the first expedition into the United States, exploring much of the Southeast up to the Mississippi River

Question 10

Juan de Oñate Definition

Answer 10

Led an expedition into New Mexico and used force to conquer Native Americans

Question 11

Mestizos Definition

Answer 11

In Spain’s American colonies, a person of mixed Spanish and Indian background

Question 12

Mission Definition

Answer 12

A settlement run by Catholic priests and friars whose goal was to convert Indians to Christianity

Question 13

Ponce de Leon Definition

Answer 13

The first Spaniard to set foot into what is now the United States

Question 14

Presidio Definition

Answer 14

A fort where soldiers lived in the Spanish colonies

Question 15

Pueblo Definition

Answer 15

A town in the Spanish colonies

Question 16

What were conquistadors looking for? What did it do for Spain?

Answer 16

In their search for glory and gold, the conquistadors made Spain one of the richest nations in Europe

Question 17

Who followed conquistadors on their expeditions for glory and gold? What did they do?

Answer 17

Spanish colonists followed the conquistadors and created a vast new empire in the Americas.

Question 18

What was needed by the Spanish Rulers for conquistadors to establish settlements in the Americas?

Answer 18

The rulers of Spain gave conquistadors permission to establish settlements in the Americas. In return, conquistadors agreed to give Spain one fifth of any gold or treasure they captured.

Question 19

When did Hernando Cortes set sail and why? With whom?

Answer 19

With only about 600 soldiers and 16 horses, Cortés set sail for Mexico in 1519 in search of gold.

Question 20

What did the Aztec Emperor, Moctezuma, decide to do when he heard that white people – Hernando Cortes and his men – on ships were coming?

Answer 20

Moctezuma (mokt uh ZOO muh), the Aztec emperor who ruled over much of Mexico, heard disturbing reports of a large house floating on the sea. It was filled with white men with long, thick beards. Aztec sacred writings predicted that a powerful white-skinned god would come from the east to rule the Aztecs. The strangers were approaching Tenochtitlán (tay nawch teet LAHN), the Aztec capital, which is now Mexico City. Moctezuma decided to welcome them as his guests.

Question 21

How did Hernando Cortes take advantage of Emperor Moctezuma’s invitation?

Answer 21

Cortés took advantage of Moctezuma’s invitation. Shrewdly, Cortés had already begun to win the support of other Indians who resented Aztec rule. One of his trusted advisers was an Indian woman the Spanish called Doña Marina. She gave Cortés valuable information about the Aztecs and acted as a translator and negotiator.

Question 22

What did Hernando Cortes do on November 8, 1519?

Answer 22

On November 8, 1519, Cortés marched into Tenochtitlán. The city was much larger than any Spanish city at that time. Thousands upon thousands of Aztecs turned out to see the astonishing newcomers riding horses.

Question 23

How did the Aztec Empire fall, due to Hernando Cortes?

Answer 23

At first, Cortés was friendly to Moctezuma. Soon, however, he made the emperor a prisoner in his own city. Tensions mounted in Tenochtitlán over the next half year. Finally, the Aztecs drove out the Spanish. Their victory, however, was brief. Aided by people whom the Aztecs had conquered, Cortés recaptured the city. In the end, the Spanish destroyed Tenochtitlán, and Moctezuma was killed. The Aztec empire had fallen.

Question 24

How did Francisco Pizarro captured the Incan Empire?

Answer 24

Another conquistador, Francisco Pizarro (pee SAHR oh), set his sights on the Incan empire. Pizarro sailed down the Pacific coast of South America with fewer than 200 Spanish soldiers. In 1532, he captured the Incan emperor Atahualpa (ah tuh WAHL puh) and later executed him. Without the leadership of Atahualpa, Incan resistance collapsed. By 1535, Pizarro controlled much of the Incan empire.

Question 25

How were the Spanish able to conquer two great empires – the Incas and Aztecs – with only a handful of soldiers?

Answer 25

First, the Spanish had superior military equipment. They were protected by steel armor and had guns. The Aztecs and Incas relied on clubs, bows and arrows, and spears. Also, the Native Americans had never seen horses. They were frightened by mounted Spanish soldiers. In addition, the Native Americans did not fight as hard as they might have. The Aztecs hesitated to attack at first because they thought the Spanish might be gods. The Incas were weak from fighting among themselves over control of their government. Finally, many Indians died from European diseases, such as smallpox, measles, and influenza. Some historians believe that disease alone would have ensured Spanish victory over the Indians.

Question 26

What did Spanish conquistadors find after moving north from the Aztecs and Incas, which they conquered?

Answer 26

The Spanish search for treasure reached beyond the lands of the Aztecs and Incas. Moving north, conquistadors explored the Spanish borderlands. The borderlands spanned the present-day southern United States from Florida to California.

Question 27

What was Juan Ponce de Leon in search of in 1513 in Florida?

Answer 27

Juan Ponce de León (PAWN say day lay OHN) traveled through parts of Florida in 1513, looking for a legendary fountain of youth. Indians claimed that anyone who bathed in its magical water would remain young forever. Ponce de León found no such fountain.

Question 28

What happened to Panfilo Narvaez and Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca after a 1528 expedition gone wrong?

Answer 28

Another explorer, Pánfilo Narváez (nahr VAH es), led an expedition that ended in disaster. In 1528, a storm struck his fleet in the Gulf of Mexico. Narváez and many others were lost at sea. The rest landed on an island in present-day Texas. Indians captured the few survivors and held them prisoner. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (kah VAY suh day VAH kuh) assumed leadership of the small group. Cabeza de Vaca, an enslaved African named Estevanico, and two others finally escaped their captors in 1533. The four walked across the plains of Texas, searching for a Spanish settlement. Finally, in 1536, they reached a town in Mexico. They had traveled by foot more than 1,000 miles through the Southwest.

Question 29

What happened to Hernando De Soto during his expedition in Florida from 1539 to 1542?

Answer 29

From 1539 to 1542, Hernando De Soto explored Florida and other parts of the Southeast. In his search for gold, he reached the Mississippi River. De Soto died along the riverbank, without finding the riches he sought.

Question 30

What was Francisco Coronado looking for in his 1540 expedition? What did he find?

Answer 30

The conquistador Francisco Coronado (koh roh NAH doh) heard legends about “seven cities of gold.” In 1540, he led an expedition into the southwestern borderlands. He traveled to present-day Arizona and New Mexico. Some of his party went as far as the Grand Canyon. Still, the Zuni (ZOO nee) villages he visited had no golden streets.

Question 31

What did the Spanish create colonies? Reasons:

Answer 31

One was the search for wealth: settlements provided bases from which expeditions could set out in search of gold. Settlements could also create wealth through farming and trade. A second important cause of settlement was to spread Christianity by converting native peoples. A third cause was to satisfy a thirst for adventure and exploration. Sometimes, historians summarize the Spanish exploration and settlement of the Americas as motivated by “Gold, God, and Glory.”

Question 32

Why did Spanish Immigrants move to Spanish Settlements?

Answer 32

Thousands of Spanish immigrants moved to Spanish settlements looking for opportunities the colonies offered, especially farming.

Question 33

What did the Spanish ruler do when conquistadors proved to be bad rulers?

Answer 33

At first, Spain let the conquistadors govern the lands they conquered. When the conquistadors proved to be poor rulers, the Spanish king took away their authority. He then set up a strong system of government to rule his growing empire. In 1535, he divided his American lands into New Spain and Peru. The northern borderlands were part of New Spain. The king put a viceroy in charge of each region to rule in his name.

Question 34

What was the purpose and effect of the Laws of the Indies?

Answer 34

A set of laws called the Laws of the Indies stated how the colonies should be organized and ruled. The laws provided for three kinds of settlements in New Spain: pueblos, presidios (prih SID ee ohz), and missions. Some large communities included all three.

Question 35

What were Spanish Settlements like?

Answer 35

Spain established many settlements in the Americas. Many of these Spanish settlements were built in a similar pattern. The pueblos, or towns, were centers of farming and trade. In the middle of the town was a plaza, or public square. Here, townspeople and farmers came to do business or worship at the church. Shops and homes lined the four sides of the plaza.

Question 36

True or False: The Spanish took control of Indian pueblos and built new towns as well

Answer 36

True

Question 37

What did Juan de Onate do in 1598? Don Pedro de Peralta?

Answer 37

In 1598, Juan de Oñate (oh NYAH tay) founded the colony of New Mexico among the adobe villages of the Pueblo Indians. He used brutal force to conquer the Native Americans of the region. Don Pedro de Peralta later founded Santa Fe as the Spanish capital of New Mexico.

Question 38

What were inside the walls of presidios and what did soldiers do?

Answer 38

Inside the high, thick walls were shops, stables, and storehouses for food. Soldiers protected the farmers who settled nearby.

Question 39

Where was the first presidio in the borderlands?

Answer 39

The first presidio in the borderlands was built in 1565 at St. Augustine, Florida. St. Augustine was the first permanent European settlement in what would become the United States. Its founding marked the beginning of the era of colonization in the future territory of the United States, which would continue until the United States declared independence in 1776.

Question 40

Who did the Spanish often force to live and work in the missions?

Answer 40

Indians

Question 41

What was the Pueblo Revolt of 1680?

Answer 41

In New Mexico, the Spanish tried to destroy any trace of traditional Pueblo Indians’ religious practices and subjected them to severe punishments. This resulted in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The Pueblo Indians rose up against Spanish rule. They killed about 400 Spaniards and drove the others out of the region. The Spanish recaptured the region in the mid-1690s.

Question 42

When and where was the first mission in Texas founded?

Answer 42

In 1659 at El Paso

Question 43

What did Father Eusebio Francisco Kino do in 1691?

Answer 43

In 1691, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino (KEE noh) crossed into present-day Arizona. He eventually set up 24 missions in the area. The missions were a direct result of early Spanish colonization efforts. Over time, they had a significant impact in the Americas. By the late 1700s, a string of missions dotted the California coast from San Diego to San Francisco, and Spanish language and culture gradually spread with them.

Question 44

How did the Laws of the Indies influence social classes?

Answer 44

The Laws of the Indies also set up a strict social system. People in Spanish colonies were divided into four social classes: peninsulares (puh NIN suh LAH rayz), creoles (KREE ohlz), mestizos (mes TEE sohz), and Indians.

Question 45

Where were Peninsulares born, and what benefits were they exposed to?

Answer 45

Born in Spain, peninsulares held the highest jobs in government and the Church. They also owned large tracts of land as well as rich gold and silver mines.

Question 46

What benefits were Creoles exposed to?

Answer 46

Many creoles were wealthy and well educated. They owned farms and ranches, taught at universities, and practiced law. However, they could not hold the jobs that were reserved for peninsulares.

Question 47

What benefits were Mestizos exposed to?

Answer 47

Mestizos worked on farms and ranches owned by peninsulares and creoles. In the cities, they worked as carpenters, shoemakers, tailors, and bakers. Over the course of Spanish colonization, mestizos came to be the largest class of people.

Question 48

How were Indians mistreated under the Laws of the Indies’ social classes?

Answer 48

In the early years of Spanish colonization, Indians were the largest class. The Spanish treated them as a conquered people. Under New Spain’s strict social system, Indians were kept in poverty for hundreds of years.

Question 49

How did Indian and Spanish cultures blend?

Answer 49

The effects of colonization can be seen in the new way of life in New Spain that blended Spanish and Indian ways. Spanish settlers brought their own culture to the colonies. They introduced their language, laws, religion, and learning. In 1551, the Spanish founded the University of Mexico. Native Americans also influenced the culture of New Spain. Colonists adopted Indian foods, such as corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and squash. Indian workers used materials they knew well, such as adobe bricks, to build fine libraries, theaters, and churches. Sometimes, Indian artists decorated church walls with paintings of local traditions.

Question 50

What made the Spanish wealthy, thanks to encomiendas?

Answer 50

Mines in Mexico, Peru, and other parts of the Americas made Spain rich. Treasure ships laden with thousands of tons of gold and silver sailed regularly across the Atlantic.

Question 51

How did the conditions in mines affect the Native Americans?

Answer 51

The Spanish forced Native Americans to work in the gold and silver mines. In flickering light, Indians hacked out rich ores in narrow, dark tunnels. Many died when tunnels caved in.

Question 52

What did the priest Bartolome de Las Casas do after seeing the tough conditions of the Native Americans.

Answer 52

These harsh conditions led one priest, Bartolomé de Las Casas (day lahs KAH sahs), to seek reform. Traveling through New Spain, Las Casas witnessed firsthand the deaths of Indians due to hunger, disease, and mistreatment. What he saw horrified him

Question 53

Thanks to Bartolome de Las Casas, what did the Spanish government do in the 1540s?

Answer 53

Many Spanish in New Spain did not share Las Casas’ view or his values. So, he journeyed to Europe and asked the king of Spain to protect the Indians’ civil rights. In the 1540s, the royal government passed laws prohibiting the enslavement of Native Americans. The laws also allowed Indians to own cattle and grow crops. However, few officials in New Spain enforced the new laws or took the time to think about Indians’ basic human needs.

Question 54

Why did the Spanish seek a new source of labor, or slaves?

Answer 54

The death toll among Native Americans continued to rise. Faced with a severe shortage of workers, Spanish colonists looked across the Atlantic Ocean for a new source of labor.

Question 55

What idea did Bartolome de Las Casas propose to solve the Spanish’s lack of slaves? What did his arguments encourage?

Answer 55

Still seeking to protect Native Americans, Bartolomé de Las Casas made a suggestion that had a lasting, tragic impact. His idea was that Africans be brought as slaves to replace forced Indian laborers. Las Casas argued that Africans were less likely to die from European diseases. He also claimed that Africans would suffer less because they were used to doing hard farm work in their homelands. Las Casas’ arguments encouraged the Atlantic slave trade, or the trade of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas.

Question 56

True or False: In many parts of Africa, slavery had existed for centuries

Answer 56

True; Often, war prisoners were enslaved. Eventually, these enslaved people or their children might gain freedom. After the Americas were colonized, though, some Africans began to capture and enslave people and sell them to European traders. The traders then shipped the enslaved men, women, and children to the Americas. Most Africans who settled in the Americas did so against their will.

Question 57

Did Las Casas live to regret his decision for African slavery?

Answer 57

By the time he died, Las Casas had come to regret his suggestion. He saw that enslaved Africans suffered as much as the Indians. By that time, however, it was too late to undo the damage. Slavery had become a key part of the colonial economy.

Question 58

How was the slave trade expansion in Africa?

Answer 58

The European demand for African labor grew rapidly, mainly in Spain’s colonies in the West Indies, including what are now Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, and in other parts of the Americas. Enslaved Africans were especially valued on sugar plantations in the West Indies and in the Portuguese colony of Brazil. A plantation is a large estate farmed by many workers. Sugar could not be grown on small estates because it required too much land and labor.

Question 59

How did enslaved Africans work on sugar plantations?

Answer 59

Enslaved Africans often worked all through the night cutting sugar, which was then sold in Europe for a large profit.

Question 60

How many slaves do scholars estimate Europeans transported from Africa between the 1500s and the 1800s?

Answer 60

Some scholars estimate that Europeans transported more than 10 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas between the 1500s and the 1800s. The vast majority came from West Africa.