The Spanish Conquest of the Americas - PowerPoint Presentation

The Spanish Conquest of the Americas WORLD HISTORY READERS Level 3- ②

Columbus explains his project to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. Christopher Columbus Asians and the Land East of Them Why did Columbus sail west from Europe? People in Europe wanted pepper and other spices from Asia. Christopher Columbus thought he could reach Asia faster by going west. Columbus set off west from Europe to Asia. What did Columbus find when he sailed west? Cave paintings When Columbus sailed west, no one knew about the large and long land in the sea between Europe and Asia. Columbus found this land.

Aztec Pyramids Aztec calendar Incan buildings The People in the New Land Who lived in the Americas at the time Columbus sailed there? By the time Columbus sailed, the most important cultures in the Americas were the Aztecs, the Mayas, and the Incas. Their cultures were quite developed because they had calendars and knew how to write. They built pyramids and big cities. There were other different groups of people as well with very simple cultures. A Mayan Pyramid

Columbus’s first view of the New World A statue of Amerigo Vespucci Discovery of the American Continent by Amerigo Vespucci Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci Why was the new land that Columbus found called America? The new land was called America by Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci was another explorer who traveled along the coast of South America. He was the first one to understand he was not in Asia but in a new land. He named it after himself, so it became called the Americas. Did Columbus name America? No, Columbus didn't realize what he had found. He thought he was in India. He made four trips to the Americas in total, and he found the mainland on his last trip. He died without knowing what he had found.

A conquistador with the Spanish flag Explorers and Conquerors Why did so many Spanish explorers travel to the Americas? A conquistador—a Spanish soldier Francisco Pizarro draws a line to divide the land. The Spaniards were excited with the new land they had discovered. Some wanted to become rich, others wanted to spread their religion, and yet others were simply interested in making more discoveries. Conquistadors like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro didn’t want to explore. They wanted to conquer the land and own it. Thousands of Spaniards sailed to the Americas, hoping to get what they wanted.

Hernán Cortés destroys his ships to prevent escape by his unhappy followers. Hernán Cortés The execution of Atahualpa Cortés and the Aztecs What happened to the native people of the Americas? Francisco Pizarro attacked the Incan Empire. He killed Atahualpa, the king of the Incas. Pizarro entered the capital city, and soon the Incan Empire belonged to Spain. Millions of native people died from wars or from diseases brought by the Spanish. For example, many Aztec people died from smallpox—a disease the conquistadors introduced. Those remaining fought against Hernán Cortés. One hundred years after Cortés's conquest, the Aztec population had decreased from 25,000,000 to 1,000,000. What happened to the Incas?

What Spain Brought to America What new things did the Spanish bring to the Americas? The Spanish brought horses, cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, big dogs, and cats to the Americas. They also brought guns, cannons, a new religion, and plants such as wheat and rice. Was everything that the Spanish brought good? The Spanish brought horses and many other animals to the New World. No, the Spanish also brought diseases that killed the native people. Natives with smallpox

The Battle of Otumba What America Gave to Europe What new things did the explorers take back to Europe from the Americas? From America, the explorers took many new things back to Europe. Among these things were potatoes, corn, tomatoes, chocolate, vanilla, tobacco, turkeys, bell peppers, avocados, and pineapples. How did the Spaniards treat the native people? The native people were treated very badly. They were forced to work for the Spaniards. They were not paid, and they were poorly fed.

Life After the Conquest What were the Americas like by the end of the 16 th century? After the Spanish conquest, people in the Americas spoke Spanish. They became Catholics and lived according to the Spanish culture and laws. The cities looked like cities in Spain. Does Spain still control parts of the Americas today? No, in the 19th century, the Hispanic countries fought for their independence from Spain. They became independent republics. However, we can still see Spain’s influence in their language, culture, and beliefs. A church in Cuenca, Ecuador

Vocabulary avocado n. a tropical fruit with thick green or purple skin, soft, light green flesh and a large seed inside Aztec n. a member of the American Indian people who lived in Mexico

Vocabulary cannon n. a large gun, usually attached to two or four wheels, that was used in the past conquistador n. a conqueror; one of the Spanish soldiers in the conquest of the Americas

Vocabulary resentment n. a feeling of anger about an unfair situation explorer n. someone who travels to places where no one has ever been

Vocabulary vanilla n. a plant that produces seeds which are used to flavor food spice n. one of the many types of powder or seed that come from plants and are used to give a special taste to food