Aim Were the falls of the Aztec and

Aim: Were the falls of the Aztec and Incan Empires inevitable? Do Now: You have heard that there is an abundance of gold and silver on a far away planet. Your government is willing to fully finance your trip; all expenses paid! Would you be willing to go (knowing that such a trip is very risky) or would you want more evidence?

I Treaty of Tordesillas A) Following Columbus’s voyages, Portugal and Spain competed for overseas colonies in the New World (the Americas) B) To try and prevent war between Portugal and Spain, in 1494 Pope Alexander VI made the Treaty of Tordesillas: He drew an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean, giving Spain land west of the line, and Portugal land east of the line.

II Who were the Conquistadors? A) Spanish conquerors of the New World were known as conquistadors. B) Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztecs in Mesoamerica, and Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca in South America. Hernan Cortes Francisco Pizzaro

III The Conquest of the Aztecs and the Inca Cortes vs. the Aztecs A) In 1519, from Cuba Cortes led 600 men, 11 ships, 16 horses, and an Aztec translator to Mexico. He burned his ships so his men could not turn back! B) Cortes made alliances with the enemies of Aztec emperor Montezuma. Pizarro vs. the Inca A) Pizarro arrived in Cuzco (the Incan capital) with 200 soldiers and horses. B) The Incan emperor Atahualpa had just won the throne from his brother in a civil war in 1532. Pizarro made an alliance with his brother. C) Pizarro invited Atahualpa for a feast. Atahualpa consented to attend the feast with only 5, 000 unarmed men.

Last Major Aztec Emperor Montezuma II Last Incan Emperor Atahualpa

The Conquest of the Aztecs and the Inca Continued… Cortes vs. the Aztecs D) On November 8, 1519, the Spaniards were allowed to enter Tenochtitlan, possibly because the Aztecs believed them to be gods. Once in the city, Cortes took Montezuma hostage. E) In 1520 after a Spanish massacre of the Aztecs, the Aztec rebelled and Montezuma II was killed in the fighting. According to the Aztecs, he was murdered by the Spanish. According to the Spanish, he was murdered by an angry Aztec mob. In May 1521, Tenochtitlan fell to the Spanish after a 3 month siege. Pizarro vs. the Inca D) Pizarro asked Atahualpa to convert to Christianity and accept Charles V as his King. Atahualpa refused. Pizarro commanded the slaughter of 5, 000 Incans. E) Pizarro kept Atahualpa alive, demanding a ransom of a room filled with gold and silver (22 feet long, 17 feet wide, and 8 feet long). Atahualpa did this, but he was executed anyways on August 29, 1533.

The Conquest of the Aztecs and the Inca Continued… Cortes vs. the Aztecs F) By 1521 Tenochtitlan was destroyed. The Spanish built Mexico City over its ruins. G) The Aztec population declined significantly due to the spread of smallpox by the Spanish. Mexico City, Mexico Pizarro vs. the Inca F) The Incan population declined significantly due to the spread of smallpox by the Spanish. F) The Spanish built their capital city of Lima in 1535. Lima, Peru

Primary Sources "This great city of Tenochtitlan is built on the salt lake. . . The city itself is as big as Seville [a city in Spain]… They are all very beautiful buildings… Amongst these temples there is one… whose great size and magnificence no human tongue could describe…” Hernan Cortes Mass grave of slaughtered Aztecs. "The [horses] came forward, carrying soldiers on their backs… When they run, they make a loud noise, as if stones were raining on the earth. . . ” – an anonymous Aztec describing the Conquistadors Bullet holes found in Incan skulls at the time of the Incan conquest

IV The Spanish Colonies A) Spain divided their American colonies into 5 provinces, each ruled by a viceroy (governor). B) Jesuits (Catholic missionaries) forced the natives to convert to Catholicism. C) New Spain began the encomienda system: Based on feudalism, conquistadors were legally allowed to demand labor and/or payment from the natives. Native laborers were called peons. Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas built 1720

Sugar Cane Production in Spanish America Peons harvested sugar cane. Pressed into juice, it was made into rum and sold. The Spanish plantation owners reaped the profits.

The Spanish Colonies Continued… D) Bartolome de Las Casas, a priest, wrote a letter to the King of Spain condemning the encomienda system. In response, in 1542 Spain passed the New Laws of the Indies banning it, but it was impossible to enforce. Also, this led to the increased use of African slaves. “…The Spaniards have shown not the slightest consideration for these people… I would to God they had done and had shown them the consideration they afford their animals - so much as piles of dung in the middle of the road…” Bartolome de Las Casas

V Society in the Spanish American Colonies A) A new and strict social hierarchy (class system) was created in the Spanish American colonies. B) It was based on 1. Race 2. Where you were born

Summary Questions 1. What was the Treaty of Tordesillas? Do you think that it was practical? Explain. 2. What were the most important factors that led to the defeat of the Aztec and Inca? 3. Did Bartolome de Las Casas make a difference by condemning the encomienda system? Explain. 4. How did the Spanish conquest change society in the Americas? Was it mostly positive or negative? Justify your answer. 5. Is there anything that the Aztecs or Inca could have done to defeat the Spanish? Justify your answer.

Key Vocabulary ü Peon ü Atahualpa ü Francisco Pizarro ü Conquistadors ü Peninsulares ü Hernan Cortes ü New Laws of the Indies ü Creoles ü Bartolome de las Casas ü Viceroy ü Encomienda System ü Mestizos ü Montezuma ü Mulattoes