Spanish Colonization and New Spain Overview

Conquistadors

Spanish conquerors

New Spain

The new land claimed by the Spanish

Encomiendas

Land grants to settlers that gave them the right to demand laborers and taxes

Missions

Tried to convert Native Americans and provide protection

Presidios

Forts established by the Spanish

Pueblos

Towns that served as centers of farming and trade

Peninsulares

Born in Spain

Creoles

Born in America to Spanish-born parents

Mestizos

Mixed Spanish and Indian; the largest class

Native American Indians

Conquered poor individuals in the Spanish colonies

Father de Las Casas

A reformer who sought to protect Native Americans from harsh treatment

Transatlantic Slave Trade

The trade of African slaves to the Americas to address labor shortages

Reasons for Spanish Exploration

Looking for the Fountain of Youth, gold, land to claim, resources, and Christianity

Hernando de Soto

Explored Florida and was the first European to reach the Mississippi River

Coronado

Led an expedition into Arizona, New Mexico, and the Grand Canyon

Ponce de Leon

Explored in 1513 with the goal of finding the Fountain of Youth

Narvaez

Lost at sea in the Gulf of Mexico; survivors captured

de Vaca

Led survivors for approximately 1,000 miles into the Southwest

Social Class Structure

Strict hierarchy including Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos, and Native Americans

Effects of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Slavery lasted longer, demand for African Americans grew rapidly, and many died

Harsh Treatment of American Indians

Forced to work in gold and silver mines, leading to many deaths

First Established Mission

El Paso, TX in the 1690s

St. Augustine

First established city by the Spanish in 1565