Chapter 16 - The First Global Age: Europe, the Americas, Africa

1492 – 1750

Setting the Scene: Spanish soldiers who reached the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (tānōchtētlän´) in 1519 were amazed by its size and splendor. Within a few years, the Spanish had captured and destroyed the Aztec capital. In its place, they built a new capital, Mexico City, that became the heart of the Spanish empire in the Americas.

Section 1 – Conquest in the Americas

In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed inthe West Indies

He encountered the Taino people

Drawing of Taino Islanders coming to meet the Spanish caravels, from

Columbus' Letter, 1493

Spanish conquistadors in search of gold

Conquistadors seized the Tainos’ gold ornaments

Conquistadors forced the Tainos to convert to Christianity under the threat of death

The Europeans brought diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza

These diseases spread and wiped out up to 90% of the population within 100 years

Conquistadors were attracted by the promise of riches

In 1519, Hernando Cortes landed on the coast of Mexico

Cortes was helped by Malinche, an Indian woman who served as his translator and adviser

Many conquered peoples hated the Aztecs. Malinche helped Cortes form alliances to fight the Aztecs

Moctezuma thought Cortes might be the god-king Quetzalcoatl returning from the east

Quetzalcoatl ("feathered snake") is the Aztec name for the Feathered-Serpent deity of ancient Mesoamerica, one of the main gods of many Mexican and northern Central American civilizations.

At first, Moctezuma welcomed Cortes to his capital but problems soon arose

The Aztecs drove the Spanish from the city and Moctezuma was killed

In 1521Cortes and his allies captured and demolished Tenochtitlan, and later built Mexico City

In 1532, Francisco Pizarro arrived in Peru just after the Incan ruler Atahualpa won a bloody civil war

Pizarro defeated the Incas and captured Atahualpa. The Incas paid a huge ransom but the Spanish killed him anyway

The Inca gave Pizarro 24 tons of gold and silver as a ransom for Athualpa, but he was not released.  The Spanish later tied him to a stake and strangled him.

A. Superior military technology – horses, muskets and cannons; metal helmets and armor that provided protection

B. Different tactics - The Aztec fought to take captives for sacrifice while the Spanish fought to kill their enemies on the battlefield

C. The Spanish had allies that provided Cortes and Pizarro with much of their fighting forces

D. European diseases killed many and some felt that their gods were less powerful than the Christian god