Pre-Columbian Civilizations and the Spanish Conquest of America

Posted on May 7, 2024 in Geography

Pre-Columbian Civilizations

Incas

  • Centralized in Cuzco
  • Descendants of the sun
  • Preferred peaceful methods
  • Established indirect governments
  • Built the Inca Trail with agricultural and dairy settlements
  • Imposed the Quechua language
  • Had a complex administrative system called the Quipu
  • Practiced a”political religio” involving oracles, sacrifices, and public confessions
  • Used Mitimaes to assimilate conquered peoples
  • Cultivated in terraces and ridges (Waru Waru)
  • Had a labor system called Mita
  • Practiced Minka, a form of common labor
  • Empire ended in 1543 due to the conflict between Huascar and Atahualpa

Aztecs

  • Based in Texcoco
  • Highly segmented society with castes
  • Pillis (nobles): leaders, warriors, traders
  • Macehuales (ordinary people): peasants, artisans
  • Tlatlacotin (slaves)
  • Governor: Tlatoani
  • Sustained their economy on corn, using chinampas and slash-and-burn agriculture
  • Had a complex political system

Mayans

  • Inhabited the forests of Mesoamerica
  • Had a hierarchical social organization
  • Dynasties ruled by Halach Uinic
  • Could have representatives in cities (Batabs)
  • Based their economy on corn
  • Engaged in trade
  • Had a warrior character
  • Developed a complex ideographic writing system and a sophisticated calendar

Spanish Conquest of America

  • Scientific advances led to European exploration
  • Average age ended in 1492
  • European man: anthropocentric, believed in the superiority of their culture
  • Spain and Portugal led marine expeditions
  • Portugal: early fifteenth century expeditions
  • Spain: expeditions to the Americas
  • Christopher Columbus: title of Admiral of the Ocean Sea, received 10% profit, took possession of new territories on behalf of the Spanish kings

American Land Occupation

  • South-Central America and Mexico (1520-1534): a particular burden
  • Interior regions (1534-1555)

Mexico

  • 1519: Hernán Cortés arrives from Cuba
  • 1520: Cortés captures Tenochtitlan

Peru

  • 1531-1535: Spanish conquest of Panama
  • Friar Bartolomé de las Casas accused the Spanish of abuse, leading to the Laws of Burgos and the New Laws
  • 1520: Hernando Magallanes
  • 1535: Almagro explores the valley of Chile
  • 1553: Battle of Tucapel, Spanish defeat
  • 1557: García Hurtado de Mendoza becomes governor
  • 1598: Battle of Curalaba, final Spanish defeat

Encomienda

  • Institution given to a Spaniard, who was allowed to levy charges that indigenous people should pay to the Spanish government
  • Fees: personal service, Mita (forced labor), gold
  • Tribute: money or goods, not personal service
  • No forced labor, tribute in money, prohibited work on Sundays or holidays

War

Offensive War (1601-1612)

  • Alonso de Ribera
  • Established a regular army
  • Occupied Mapuche territory
  • Indigenous rebels were enslaved

Defensive War (1612-1625)

  • Bartolomé de las Casas
  • Used persuasion and nonviolent tactics
  • Established the Bio Bio boundary line
  • Removed forced labor and ended slavery

Spanish Colonial Society

  • Highly hierarchical
  • Mixed-culture: Baroque, Cuzco painting

Dynasties

Habsburg (1516-1700)

  • Spanish peak period
  • Provided riches, but spent money on wars
  • Tied to a rural economy
  • Lost territories, fell Spain

Bourbon (1700)

  • Series of changes to overcome crisis
  • Efficiency, new ideas, enlightened despotism
  • Further reforms

Commercial Monopoly

  • America was an important source of riches
  • Trade prohibited with other nations
  • Control of ports
  • Imposition of trade routes
  • Restrictions on intercolonial trade
  • Regimen of fleets

Failure

  • Ships entering any port
  • No more monopoly ports
  • Streamlined bureaucracy
  • Free trade

Economic Dependencies

  • 16th century: exploitation of gold mines
  • 17th century: agriculture, Chile starts exporting in the late century