Spanish Colonization of the Americas: Discovery, Conquest, and Impact
– The Discovery of America
The discovery of America marks the peak of Spanish expansion from the Atlantic. It was made possible by advancements in navigation technology, an economic drive to find new routes to Asia for spices, gold, and silk, and the desire to spread Christianity. This discovery originated from a project to reach Asia by sailing west. Initially rejected by John II of Portugal, the project was later presented to the Catholic Monarchs, who only accepted it after the conquest of Granada. The agreement, signed in Santa Fe, granted Columbus the titles of Admiral, Viceroy, and Governor of the discovered lands, along with one-tenth of the riches. Columbus embarked on his first expedition on August 3, 1492, and made three more voyages, exploring the Caribbean coasts of Venezuela and the Isthmus of Panama. Columbus died believing he had reached Asia, but Amerigo Vespucci later realized it was a new continent, which was named America. This expansion led to tensions with Portugal, which sought to enforce the Treaty of Alcaçobas, granting them all lands south of the Canary Islands. The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, established a dividing line 370 leagues west of Cape Verde, running north to south. This granted Castile the territory west of the line, encompassing most of Latin America except for the eastern part of Brazil. From this point onward, the exploration and colonization of the continent began.
– Conquest and Colonization of America
During the reign of Charles I, the expansion and colonization of the Americas took place. The conquest was carried out by private expeditions, with conquistadors signing agreements with the crown outlining objectives and the division of spoils. Ambitious adventurers like Hernán Cortés, who conquered Tenochtitlán (Mexico), and Francisco Pizarro, who, along with Diego de Almagro, conquered the Inca Empire (Peru), led these expeditions. Other expeditions included the search for “El Dorado” in the Amazon, Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca’s exploration of Florida and the Río de la Plata, and the conquest of the Philippine Islands by Miguel López de Legazpi and Andrés de Urdaneta, named in honor of Philip II. Initially, the conquistadors focused on gold mining. Gradually, settlers began arriving and establishing themselves in these lands. They were granted groups of Indigenous people to be evangelized and educated, but in practice, these individuals were forced into labor and exploited. Discovered mines became property of the Crown, which granted operation rights to individuals in exchange for one-fifth of the extracted resources. In both cases, Indigenous labor was exploited, as documented by figures like Bartolomé de las Casas. In response to these reports, the Crown enacted new laws that abolished the encomienda system.
– Government and Administration in the Colonial Empire
control of the territory is to be carried out from Spain and America. In Spain are hiring home based in Seville founded in 1503, whose function was to control all commercial traffic and sea to America, that people were in each ship, which arrived from America etc. products. and the Council of the Indies, established in 1523 which deals with all Indian laws, taxes, charges etc appointment. From American territory will be divided into two viceroys in front of which stands a viceroy. The Viceroyalty of New Spain, with its capital in New Spain and the Viceroyalty of Peru, with its capital in Lima were separated by a line around Panama. Within the viceroys were the governors in charge of a governor with administrative, judicial and military.In the border areas are called general captaincy. Each council presided over a township that was under the command of a magistrate. The hearings are courts that ruled in the absence of the Viceroy. In the s. XVI created 10 hearings and then added three more. The boundaries of these hearings will coincide with the boundaries that are independent from Spain in the nineteenth century. In 1512 he promulgated the laws of Burgos seeking to end the exploitation of Indians, and in 1542 published the New Laws of India to suppress the parcel
7.4 – Impact of America in Spain’s conquest of America allowed an exchange of agricultural products, some of which are unknown such as potatoes, tomatoes, cocoa, maize, snuff, but the main contributions to be gold dog and silver. These new territories pose for a source of income Castilla especially for the crown that controls the commercial traffic which reserves a fifth. Charles V used to finance the many wars that kept (France, the Turks, Luther …). On many occasions they have to pay large sums of money to the Fugger family. In the first half of the sixteenth century saw significant economic growth due in large part to the conquest of America as settlers demanded products to Spain and increases production. A negative consequence of this was that the arrival of precious metals from America produced an increase in prices (price revolution). From a demographic standpoint, 150,000 Spaniards emigrated to America, most young men, which affected the Spanish population and the U.S., as mixing occurs. A Spanish children in America are called Creoles.