Spanish Colonization in North America

Vocabulary flashcards covering motives, settlements, Native relations, and legacy of Spanish colonization in North America.

God, Gold, and Glory

Spanish motives for colonization: spread Catholicism (God), acquire wealth/resources (Gold), and extend empire/Glory.

Catholic mission

Missions were central to expansion, aiming to convert Native peoples and integrate them into colonial society.

St. Augustine, Florida (1565)

First permanent European settlement in what is now the United States.

Santa Fe (1610)

Founded in New Mexico; a key center of Spanish colonial expansion in the Southwest.

Spanish Southwest settlements

Regions including New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas with missions and presidios; generally less dense than Latin America.

California missions

Chain of missions in California as part of westward Spanish expansion.

Encomienda system

Labor system that granted Native workers to Spanish lords; often harsh and exploitative, tied to Christianization.

Bartolomé de las Casas

Spanish priest who criticized the encomienda system and advocated for Native rights.

Pueblo Revolt (1680)

Uprising that expelled the Spanish from New Mexico for a decade.

Settlement density in North America vs Latin America

Spanish settlements in North America were generally less dense and more dispersed than those in Latin America.

Introduction of horses and cattle

European livestock (horses, cattle) introduced, transforming Indigenous life and frontier economies.

Crops introduced (citrus, grapes, olives)

New crops such as citrus fruits, grapes, and olives introduced by Spaniards.

Catholic religion spread widely

Catholicism spread across the region through missions and colonial activity.

Cultural blending and mestizo populations

Intermarriage and cultural mixing led to mestizo populations in the region.

Spanish language in North America

Spanish remained a major language in many regions after colonization.

French motives/goals

• profited from fur trade

• spread Catholicism

• strengthen France power against Spain/England

French founded what in 1608

Quebec by Champlin

What lake&valley did explorations have

The Great lakes and Mississippi valley

French had alliances with who

Huron and Algonquin

French depended on ___ for fur trade

Native Americans

who learned languages and lived among natives

jesuits

French names+culture remained where

Quebec and Louiiane

Did limited demographics presence weaken or strengthen French colonial power

weaken