Conquest and Organization of the American Empire
The Spanish Indies was the name given to the territories conquered by the Crown of Castile in America. It was a quick conquest through scientific and military superiority.
Expeditions
In 1511, the conquest of the Caribbean islands (Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti) was completed.
The Conquest of Mexico
Hernán Cortés conquered Mexico in the battle of Otumba in 1521. The Aztecs lived there. The Aztecs appropriated their wealth and retained the emperor Moctezuma as a hostage. All the territories of the Aztecs were incorporated into the Spanish empire.
The Conquest of Peru
Francisco Pizarro led the conquest of the Inca, along with Diego de Almagro in 1531. They took advantage of clashes between the Incas to impose themselves. The following year, after the Battle of Cajamarca, the Inca emperor Atahualpa was executed, and then the Spanish took Cuzco, the capital of the empire.
Other Achievements
Núñez Cabeza de Vaca explored Florida, Texas, and California. Almagro and Pedro de Valdivia won Chile. Orellana toured the Amazon. Juan de Garay founded Buenos Aires. Legazpi and Urdaneta conquered the Philippine Islands and baptized them as a tribute to Prince Philip, son of Charles I.
Organization of the Conquered Territories
The conquered territories were incorporated into the Crown of Castile, which financed the discovery and verified its colonization. The language, culture, religion, and laws of Castile were introduced. Then, priests evangelized the indigenous people, and officials organized new territories. Two viceroyalties were founded: New Spain (Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean) and Peru (all the south to Patagonia). Each had a viceroy at its head. The viceroyalties had several provinces governed by governors. Municipalities were also established, as in Castile, with beams to govern cities and Audencia for legal issues and justice. The Council of the Indies was created, which was in charge of American affairs; the king advised them and drew up the specific laws of those territories.
Colonization of Spanish America
The Use of Resources
The new American territories became an important source of income for Castile and, essentially, for the Crown. Settlers sought stable sources of funds and required the Crown to grant lands, and mines were distributed. The colonizers used an ordering system that allowed the delivery of new settlers from indigenous groups in exchange for protection, livelihood, and religious education. They worked for them and paid them to receive tributes. Gold and silver were the wealth of the largest mines in the Indies. Real estate was granted by the Crown to operate in exchange for the fifth part of the ore extracted. When large amounts of silver began to be extracted from mines in Mexico and Bolivia, a system of mitas was established. This consisted of obliging the Indians, through a draw held among the population, to work in the mines for wages that the colonizers imposed. Work in fields and mines was based on the exploitation of the indigenous labor force. The Crown attempted to prevent abuse of the colonists, and Indian laws prohibited the enslavement of indigenous people. Frei Bartholomew Casas denounced the exploitation of indigenous Americans by the settlers.
Trade
Castile meant wheat, cattle, and sheep, vine, and horses, and America came with gold and silver, corn, and cacao. The monopoly of all this trade was granted to the port of Seville, from where they came and to which all boats traveled in groups to protect themselves from pirates. In 1503, the House of Contracts of Seville was created to control traffic and ensure business and the collection of the royal fifth to the Crown.
The Colonial Society
Political power was in the hands of the Spaniards who arrived from the Peninsula to pursue any cargos. But most of the population was made up of Indians, of different ethnicities. Crioulos were descendants of the end of the century, almost half a million people. Mestizos were children of indigenous and Spaniards. In the areas where hand labor was scarce, a native black population from Africa was transported to work there as slaves. Colonization has had important consequences for the native population, and issues such as the West Indian population have virtually disappeared due to the absence of defenses against diseases brought by the conquistadors and the practice of work evictions.