Early Latin America
Ch 19
I. Introduction Age of Conquest was divided into 2 eras
Era of Conquest 1492-1570 Era of Consolidation 1570-1700
Dominated by Iberian Peninsula States Portugal Castile (Center of Peninsula) Aragon (Eastern Peninsula)
Driven by desire of wealth
II. Spain Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile
united Spain Dominated Americas
Hispaniola was model colony Controlled Central America and Northern and
Western South America Focus was Encomiendas
Large estates with Indian laborers Encomendero
II. Spain Conquistadors
Hernan Cortes- 1519 Conquest of Mexico- killed Aztec King Moctezuma II
Francisco Vazquez de Coronado- 1540-1542 gold seeking expedition that went all the way up to Kansas
Pedro de Valdivia- 1541 Conquered Central Chile
Characteristics Typically brutal Typically not professional soldiers Looking to gain wealth and nobility
III. Portugal Main claims were in Brazil
Treaty of Tordesillas 1494- Dividing line that gave Portugal Brazil and claims to India Spain had everything west of this line
Pedro Alvares Cabral- 1st Portuguese claim to South America (1500)
Predominantly focused on the coast Sugar Plantations were the initial economic
boom Gold and Silver were found in Brazil’s interior
in and area known as Minas Gerais
II. Portugal Rio de Janiero became important due to
being a port close to the mines Indian labor was greatly used in the mines Mercury was also important to this region
IV. Indians, Creoles and Peninsulares Oh My!
Indians Slaughtered Abused on plantations & in mines Killed by disease Supported by a few
Bartolome de Las Casas- Conquistador turned Priest
IV. Indians, Creoles and Peninsulares Oh My!
Peninsulares- People born in Spain who came to the New World Superior
Creoles- Spaniards born in the New World Racial purity questioned (Mestizos) Not considered to be equal with Peninsulares
A type of Caste system formed