the beginnings of our global age europe and the americas 1492-1750

The Beginnings of Our Global AgeEurope and the Americas 1492-1750

Remember Columbus?

It is easy to say Columbus was a “bad guy” in 2010.

Why?

BUT what do you think we would discover if we compared Columbus to the times he lived in?

First Encounters in the Americas

• Columbus met the West Indians – called Tainos (TY-nos).

• Poor island farmers making cotton clothing and growing corn, yams, cotton.

• Friendly with Columbus.– Also called ARAWAK

Indians.

After Columbus: The Conquistadors

• Seized the Native Americans’ gold and forced them into slavery.– Mining for gold– Burning the forests for

plantation ground.– Forced into

Christianity.

What happened to the Tainos?

• Offended Spanish when they didn’t pay “proper respect” to Christian symbols.

• Enslaved the Tainos.• Most died of European

diseases• Intermarried / forced

relationships led to the end of the Tainos by the 1700s.

BTW:

• The Caribbean gets its name from the Caribe Indians.– Caribe = Canibal– Last known pure

Caribe died in 1920.

Conquistador Advantages over the millions of Indians?

• GUNS• HORSES• DISEASE

The Indians had no immunity

• Smallpox• Measles• Influenza• Plague• 90% of West Indians

died in the 1500s.

The Spanish heard tales of gold and fierce warriors

• The hunt was on for wealth to take from the heathen Indians.

• The Conquistadors came after Columbus.– CONQUISTADOR =

Conquerors

Hernan Cortes and the Aztecs

• From a good Spanish family.– Failed at being a

European soldier.– Failed at becoming a

lawyer.

Cortes was hungry for wealth and recognition.

Cortes

• 1519 – landed on the coast of Mexico with :– 600 men, 16 horses,

and a few cannon.

• WHY WOULD CORTES BURN HIS SHIPS WHEN HE GOT TO THE NEW WORLD?

What did Cortes Have?

• Intelligence• Guile –crafty or artful

deception. • Ruthless – Without

pity or compassion• Violence• Luck

Luck?

• Cortes had three bits of luck:– His translator,

Malinche– Learning the Aztec

story about the White Gods

– The Aztec king, Moctezuma, was weak.

Malinche• Or, as the Spanish

history books call her – Dona Marina.

• Was she acting to help Cortes out of love for him?

• Was she acting in revenge for her treatment by the Indians?

• Was she acting to stay alive?

Malinche

• In Mexican history she is a traitor to her people.– malinchista

• In Spanish history she is a heroine.– Her son, with Cortes,

was the first MESTIZO.

• Mixed Race

Malinche taught Cortes about an ancient legend

• Quetzalcoatl a white god who would return from the waters to begin the “beginning of the end.”

• How would Cortes see this legend as being an advantage for him?

Moctezuma and the Aztecs

• The last king of the Aztec Empire was weak.

• Moctezuma (Montezuma) was very superstitious and waiting for “signs” from the gods on how he should act.

The Aztecs were also hated by other tribes

• The demands from the empire for human sacrifices had many lesser tribes angry and just waiting for a leader to help them beat the Aztecs.

What would you do?

• If you were Moctezuma?

• If you were Cortes?

Moctezuma’s Mistake

• Offered gifts to the man / god Cortes - but urged him not to come to the capital city of Tenochtitlan.– A city of gold.

Cortes wants the gold!• Sometimes fighting,

sometimes negotiating Cortes gets to Tenochitlan.

• DAZZLED by the wealth of the city.

• Absolute DISDAIN for the Aztec religion.

• How is Cortes going to get it?

Cortes makes no friends among the Aztecs

• Not everyone thought he was a man / god.

• Fighting breaks out.• Cortes takes

Moctezuma hostage and makes him sign all his wealth over to him.

1520-1521: How far will Cortes go?

• Moctezuma is his prisoner.

• The Aztecs hate the Spanish

• A new group of Conquistadors that don’t like Cortes have landed near the capital.– They could take the

wealth!

Cortes

• Fought his way out of Tenochititlan.– Lost half of his men– Moctezuma was killed.

1520 – 1521 CHAOS

• Indian tribes, Aztecs, Spaniards all fighting for control of the wealth and country.

Cortes with his Indian allies

• Take and destroy Tenochtitlan and rename it Mexico City.

• Steals the wealth– To “legitimize” his theft he takes

Moctezuma’s daughter and says she is her father’s heiress and marries her off to various followers.

Mexico and Mexico City is a Spanish possession

• The Indians are forced to become Christian.– Some willingly.

Cortes was helped to victory

• He brought smallpox with him.

• 80% of the Aztecs died.

What happened to the rich Cortes?

• Had wealth, titles, and land but few people wanted to be known as his friends.

• Died in 1547 and asked for his bones to be buried in Mexico.

• Think he is buried in Mexico?

Interesting thing, Cortes’ will

• He remembered his children – both legitimate and illegitimate – Spanish and Indian:

• Including the son Martin – the one he had with Malinche.– Martin became a Spanish

soldier and fought in Germany and Algiers in Africa.

Pizarro and the Incas

• Cortes’ “successes” at getting wealth encouraged other Conquistadors to try to acquire their own fortunes.

weapons:

Guns

Germs

Steel

Francisco Pizarro

• Illegitimate son with no inheritance from his father.

• Joined in with his second cousin Hernan Cortes in the final “mopping up” of the remains of the Aztec Empire.

• Became very “Machiavellian.”

Pizarro

• Poor and needed “patrons” to help him get his fortune.

• Completely RUTHLESS.

Pizarro

• Murdered one of his patrons, Balboa, when he was offered more opportunities by a rival conquistador.

• He commonly kidnapped Indians in Panama, demanding gold, and after it was delivered, sold the captive Indians into slavery.

Pizarro hears about a kingdom of gold to the south

in 1530.• The Incas• Supposed to have

more riches than the Aztecs.

Pizarro tries to invade

• No luck on his first two expeditions.

• Rumors of the wealth, but he can’t find it!

Pizarro prepares for a final try in 1530

• What should he do to help prepare?

Pizarro’s Plan

• Cuts a deal with the Spanish king.– Give 20% of the wealth

he finds to the king.– The king names him

governor of whatever he conquers. Gives CARTE BLANCHE.

– Pizarro buys three Inca slaves and teaches them Spanish.

The Inca Emperor

• Atahualpa (ah tah WAHL puh) had just won a civil war against his brother.

• Powerful emperor and good military leader.

• A lot of unhappy enslaved tribes forced to pay taxes to the Incas and some human sacrifices.

Pizarro and Atahualpa Meet

• Pizarro tries Cortes’ trick of making the Inca think the Spanish were gods.

• Atahaulpa doesn’t buy it.

Pizarro and Atahualpa Meet

• Pizarro hands a Bible to Atahualpa and tells him to convert to Christianity and serve the Spanish.

• What do you think Atahualpa did?

Pizarro later invites Atahualpa to meet again

• The 6000 Incas come in ceremonial gear.

• Pizarro lays an ambush with 200 men, 27 horses and 3 cannon.

• Atahualpa is captured.

Ransom is demanded

• The Incas are told to fill a room once with gold and twice in silver within 2 months to get their emperor back.

• The Incas paid it.

Pizarro puts Atahualpa on “trial”

• Sentences him to burned as a heretic at the stake.

• IF Atahualpa converts, he won’t be burned at the stake.

• He was Garotted.

Pizarro takes over the empire

• Much bloodshed in forced conversions and stealing more wealth.

• Pizzaro tried to “rewrite” history to make himself look heroic.

• Killed by a rival Conquistador when he was 70.

Pizarro and other Conquistadors ruled Central and South America• Viceroys ruled for the

king.• Spanish and

Portuguese were “encouraged” to immigrate to the New World.

• The “encouragement” of the Indians to convert to Catholicism.

Encomienda – forced labor

• The Indians were forced into slavery, mostly mining for the Spanish.

• When they died, slaves were brought from Africa to fill the labor shortage.

• MASSIVE amounts of gold, silver and gems left the New World.

The Columbian Exchange

• From the New World tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers, corn and potatoes were taken to Europe

The Columbian Exchange

• From Europe, wheat and grapes went to the New World.

• From Africa and Asia, bananas and sugar cane were brought.

• Chickens, horses, donkeys were introduced to the Americas too.