Premium Essay

Spanish Conquistadors

Submitted By
Words 733
Pages 3
In the years between 1519 and 1540, conquistadores invaded the Americas and ruined the lives of many, if not all, Native Americans who lived in the New World during that time period. According to “Makers of America: The Spanish Conquistadores”, a conquistador is someone from Spain who traveled to the New World in search of God, gold, and glory (18-19). The name conquistadores translates into “conquerors” in Spanish. The conquistadores claimed all the land from Colorado to Argentina in only a mere fifty years after Columbus’s discovery of the New World (Makers of America: The Spanish Conquistadores 18-19). Although others may argue that conquistadores should be named heroes for exploring the New World, it is important to remember that conquistadores …show more content…
In Figure 1.2 of “The American Pageant” a graph shows all the diseases that came to the Americas from the Old World through the Columbian Exchange. These deadly Old World diseases include the following: smallpox, measles, bubonic plague, influenza, typhus, diphtheria, and scarlet fever (Cengage Learning 15). The Spanish have been living with these diseases for years and have built up and immunization to them. However, the Native Americans have never been exposed to these diseases and were unable to build up an immunity like the Spanish (Cohen Kennedy 15). This lack of immunity resulted in deaths of the native people of America due to diseases. Another factor that diminished the Native American population was violence. Due to the encomienda system and the violent conquering of civilizations, Native Americans were dying because they were being killed by the conquistadores. If conquistadores were truly heroes, they wouldn’t be the cause of all this …show more content…
According the former President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, freedom of worship is a basic human right that everyone should be able to have (“The Four Freedoms”). The conquistadores took away this basic human right from the Native Americans when they tried to convert them all to Christianity. The Spanish used the encomienda system to try and convert the Native Americans to Christianity (Cohen Kennedy 16). The encomienda system didn’t allow the Native Americans to keep their own spiritual beliefs. Spanish missionaries in New Mexico also forced the Christian religion onto the native people by repressing their native traditions and beliefs (Cohen Kennedy 21). The conquistadores took away basic human freedoms which is not something a hero would do; therefore, conquistadores are

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Spanish Conquistadors

...of cultures between Europeans and Native Americans was more adverse than helpful. The importation of European diseases to the New World led to high morality rates for the natives. They could not resist against disease, especially small pox, and they dispersed rapidly throughout the New World. Experience of demographic catastrophe led to the eventual extinction of tribes as well. Deliberate subjugation and extermination toward natives displayed the brutality of Europeans. They considered that the natives were still uncivilized people. The natives were forced to convert to Catholicism and to conform Spanish rules. The effects of European diseases and military brutality eliminated...

Words: 1162 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Herman Cortes De Monroy: Spanish Conquistador

...Herman Cortes de Monroy y Pizarro Spanish Conquistador (1485 - 2nd Dec, 1547) Herman Cortes who has died aged 62 from pleurisy in Castilleja de La Cuesta Spain, was the most successful conquistador having conquered the Aztec Empire for Spain. No other conquistador has ever surpassed the ruthlessness and destructive power of Cortes. Born and growing up in a non-privileged town called Medellin, Hernan Cortes dreamed of becoming famous and rich, even though his parent (Martin Cortes de Monroy and Catalina Pizarro Altamirano) wanted him to be a lawyer. Following his parents ideology, Cortes attended the University of Salamanca at only the age of 14. However, he failed his law studies and instead followed Diego Velazquez and Diego...

Words: 267 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Differences Between Christopher Columbus And Spanish Conquistadors

...Christopher Columbus found America by accident. He was looking for a new route to the far east, but he found America instead. Conquistadors came looking for gold and fame at any cost. Colonization had a big impact on the people that got conquered because many of them died due to the diseases brought by the Europeans such as smallpox, influenza, and measles. Others were casualties of the conquest, and many became slaves. The Indians' culture was destroyed because the Spanish believed that the Indians worshipped the devil and that they needed to be converted to Christianity. The Spanish conquistadors justified colonization as a way to expand Catholicism and to gain a commercial advantage over Portugal. In my opinion, their justification is not...

Words: 288 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Spanish Conquistador Research Paper

...The Spanish conquistadors were some of the greatest conquerors and explorers in the America region, even after the death of Christopher Colombus, one of the most successful Spanish conquistadors during his time. The conquistadors were motivated by money, glory, and religion, and all conquistadors weren’t just explorers, but came from various backgrounds. Some were originally priests, soldiers, scientists, it didn’t matter what you were previously, they all were driven and motivated by the same things. There were many conquistadors from Spain that were successful, including people such as Francisco Pizarro and Hernan Cortes, known for exploring the Americas, as well as conquering the Aztecs and Peru. These conquistadors benefited and took advantage of many things over the native...

Words: 919 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Spanish Conquistadors Research Paper

...The search for "gold, glory and God" led many Spanish conquistadors on a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Because of the distance and danger, many explorers chose a large sailing ship called a galleon to make the trip. In Spanish, Galedn means "armed merchant ship" making it the perfect name for these ships that Were used by the military and for trade. Galleons had a large storage capacity holding anywhere from 500 to 2000 tons of goods. This space was useful for carrying raw products like sugar, gold, silver, tobacco and coffee from Spain to the New World. The boats usually had at least two gun decks containing between 70 to 100 guns and they could carry 200 to 400 sailors. While the ships were a good size for the journey, explorers...

Words: 821 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Francisco Pzarro Research Paper

...The Life and Death of Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro was a conquistador for Spain in the early 1500’s. He was born in Trujillo Spain to Gonzalo Pizarro and Francisca Gonzalez. During his teenage years, Pizarro ended up in the Spanish army. In 1502 he crossed the Atlantic Ocean and ends up in the New World for the first time. While in the New World Pizarro went on many exciting expeditions and adventures. In 1513, Francisco went with Vasco Nunez de Balboa on his journey of crossing the Isthmus of Panama towards the Pacific Ocean. Peru’s riches teased at Pizarro as he tried to conquer the native Incas. They taunted him with stories of treasures and gold as his attempts failed due to the hostiles and poor conditions. The discovery of precious...

Words: 552 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Why the Native Americans Were Vulnerable to Conquest

...such as cavalry. Lastly, their immune system was susceptible to European diseases. Each of these reasons will be discussed further in the following paragraphs. Native Americans had poor political skills due to the large number of tribes. One example of this is the Aztecs which a lot of political strife within their tribe which raised competitiveness that increased internal conflict and thus ended with and unstable political system. A Spanish conquistador named Hernan Cortes took note of this and created alliances with enemy tribes of the Aztecs who were looking to escape slavery. For these reasons the America Natives were extremely fragmented whereas the European adventures came as a united front against them. In addition to the poor politics of the native Americans, they also lacked the resources to stand up to the European adventures, The Aztecs did not have cattle and horses integrated into waging attacks or carrying supplies. They fought their battles on foot and hand carried any supplies they needed while the Spanish forces had a cavalry from which they fought. This alone caused many Native American casualties and made war with the European's impossible. Additionally, the European's had more advanced weaponry like crossbows, guns, and steel tipped arrows. On the other hand the Aztecs used obsidian and copper tipped spears and arrows which were completely ineffective against the metal armors of the Europeans. The advanced weaponry of the Europeans was...

Words: 556 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Spanish Conquistadors: The American Quarter Horse

...American Quarter Horses In the 1700s colonists came across a breed of horses that combined the English horse with the Chickasaw breed that was brought into the Southeast by the Spanish conquistadors. The American Quarter Horse got its name from its ability to run the quarter mile races. Reaching up to 55 miles per hour, there?s no doubt that this breed was the horse for the job. American Quarter Horses have a strong willingness to work and a personality like no other. Originally, American Quarter Horses were found in the Southeastern United States by Spanish Conquistadors, but now they are most commonly bred and sold. Like any other horse, they eat grass and/or hay. They need to have their hooves trimmed every six to eight weeks to keep them from getting overgrown and infected. Owners should also take weather precautions. Horses can...

Words: 797 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Spanish Conquistadors Vs Aztec Research Paper

...The civilisation had commenced in 1325 AD, and this society feared the Spanish military devices because of their higher damage and significance than the wooden devices the Aztecs had equipped. Tenochtitlan was invaded by the leader of the Spanish conquistadors, Hernan Cortez, and arrived with approximately 500 conquistadors in 1519 AD. This invasion took 547 days to end the mighty, wealthy, and compacted civilisation. Some key motives for the conquest of the Aztecs were gold, glory, and God. The Spanish were only interested in converting the Indigenous people of the New World by forcibly ordering Indigenous people to other regions while also enslaving them and taking them back to Old Mexico, where they had the authority of God. The Spanish...

Words: 799 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Tiburcio Vasquez

...Tiburcio Vasquez was born on April 11, 1835 in monterey, Alta California and his dad was Jose Hermenegildo- Vasquez and his mom was Maria Guadalupe Cantua. With a spanish tradition Tiburcio welcome to the family was celebrated big and his nickname St. Tiburtius. Therefore, Tiburcio birthday was always referred as August 11, 1835. And, his great grandfather came to Alta California during the De Anza expedition which was in 1776. Tiburcio was built around 5 to 7 inches tall . His family sent him to school which he was taught in 2 languages which was english and spanish. By the year 1856 Tiburcio was completely influenced by Anastacio Garcia and he was one of the most dangerous bandits in California. By the year 1856, Tiburcio was rustling horses and 1 day a sheriff caught up where he was which was near Newhall and then he was taken to jail and he severed the next 5 years behind the bars in San Quentin prison....

Words: 579 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Nike Comparison of Slavery to the Spanish Conquistadors.

...Valentin Gutierrez AMDG Mrs. Hochman Period 5 5/23/13 When the Spanish were building their empires in the newly discovered world of the Americas, they were using the native people that they came across as slaves. The Spanish forced the indigenous population to work in the mines and the plantations that they were developing. The Spanish caused the indigenous population of the Americas to decrease for many reasons. Many died of diseases such as measles and the flu. The body of the natives was completely vulnerable to these diseases because they never came across it and didn’t have a clue on how to combat it. By 1500s, it is estimated that there were about 50 million natives in the Americas. By 1600, after 100 years of European warfare, disease and forced labor, the indigenous population dropped to an estimated 8 million people. New laws made by the Spanish in 1542 put an end to them being taken as slaves. The natives could no longer work in mines and on the land. Instead, a new system was introduced called the encomienda system. Under this system, the natives would only do a reasonable amount of work for the Spanish landowner on whose land they lived on. This presented a big problem because the Spanish had to get the mining work up and running again, but they could no longer count on Mayan and Aztec slaves to do it. The Spanish decided to enslave some African people because they figured, well theirs no law on exploiting Africans so let’s bring them in large quantities...

Words: 531 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Journal Entry

...Journal Entry HIS/110 The Spanish migration to North America was an interesting topic in this week that piqued my interest. Learning more about this topic in the second chapter of US History through 1877 was a good starting point to keep my attention because it is something that I have been fascinated with beforehand. I used the artwork from this chapter because it is beautiful and seems to tell an excellent story of migration and the survival skills that were needed in this day in age. I researched more about the Spanish conquistador and was able to read on "Came Men on Horses: The Conquistador Expeditions of Francisco Vazquez de Coronado and Don Juan de Onate". This book speaks of any myths that may have been written or spoken of about the way the conquest of America. The Spanish was the first Europeans to enter the America Southwest. Stories about the city of Gold is what lured in a lot of people in hopes of riches. The conquistadors were fighting the decision to search for the city of gold or not. They did not want to have the burden on their shoulders of not attempting to search for it, and someone else find it if it deemed to be true. There were seven cities that were expected to contain gold for the conquistadors to search out. The conquistadors depended on navigation when it came to their needs of survival. This would be of great service to them when it comes to finding their way to their destination...

Words: 379 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Latin America

...Latin America Midterm I. Brief Identifications: 1. Indio’s- the Pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America. Also known as Pueblos, they are Spanish speakers and usually indulge in hunting and gathering as their tradition. 2. Creoles- an American-born Spaniard in Spanish colonies, descended from the original French settlers of the southern United States, especially Louisiana. II. General Identifications: 1. Conquistadors- A conqueror, the 16-century Spanish soldiers who defeated Indian civilizations of Central America. 2. Sapa Inca- the Inca was the powerful emperor and leader of the Inca people, which basically means emperor. 3. Cannibal Law 1503- In 1503 Queen Isabella of Spain, created a law that prohibited the arrest or capture of her new children stating further that, no harm or evil was permitted against their person or possessions. 4. Royal Fifth- An old royal tax that reserves to monarch for metals acquired by subjects as treasure or extracted mining, instituted in Muslim states. III. Specific Identifications: 1. Hernan Cortes- Spanish conquistador, who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico, led an expedition and brought large portions of mainland Mexico. 2. Hernando De Soto- Spanish explorer and conquistador while leading the first European expedition into territory of the modern-day United State. 3. Montezuma II- Last Aztec emperor in Mexico and was overthrown and killed by Hernando Cortés. 4. Francisco...

Words: 601 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

The Life and Times of Ted Mosbey

...looking for as you watch Episode 2. Record your answers to each question by providing as many facts, details, and examples as possible to answer each question. Be prepared to discuss your answers with the class. 1. At the time that the Spanish conquistador’s invaded the Inca Empire, they were armed with state of the art weaponry. Describe this weaponry. Answers will vary but should include: horses that made them appear like god-like half man, half beast warriors, body armor, guns, and steel swords. 2. What is Jared Diamond’s explanation for why the Spanish had advanced to steel swords while Inca’s were still making tools and weapons from bronze? Answer: Because Europe was geographically close to the Fertile Crescent, they inherited the 7,000 years of metal technology that had been developed there. Because they had a diversified society that allowed for specialization, the Spanish devoted time and effort to producing the longest, strongest, sharpest swords possible. 3. How did the battle tactics used by the Spanish conquistadors help the small army defeat the Inca army that outnumbered it by the thousands? Answer: The Spaniards begin by surprising the Incas, firing their guns and coming out of hiding on horseback. As they rode, the conquistadors used their swords to hack, cut, and stab the Incas who were panicking and fleeing rather than standing firm. Had the Incas known more about this style of fighting, they could have been victorious by sheer numbers if they had stood their...

Words: 346 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Latin Americans In 1450

...Beginning in the 1450,’s Latin America and the Caribbean regions were booming. With the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, such as Hernan Cortes, the European and Spanish religions have been forced upon the Latin America people. Many changes arose like, starting with the Roman Catholic and then gradually moving onto Christianity. With these new religions many of the indigenous people got rid of practices such as human sacrifice. Their focus of religion also changed from polytheistic to monotheistic. But some practices and beliefs did remain stagnant from 1450 until present day. Many Latin Americans are very serious about their religion because it plays a huge role in their lives. Another aspect of daily religion that stayed the same was a constant...

Words: 425 - Pages: 2