Spanish Empire Study Notes

Countries Involved: Spain and Portugal
Year Created: 1494
Authority: Pope Alexander VI (also referred to as Alexander IV in some contexts)
Geographical Line: Known as the Papal Line - drawn at 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands, at longitude 60 degrees west.
Result of the Division: Spain acquired the western territories while Portugal was given the eastern side. This division resulted in Spain gaining a larger amount of land.

Removal of Columbus:
- Reason: Columbus was removed as governor because he was perceived as incapable of maintaining order on the island and was not responsible in his administrative duties. The colonists often disobeyed his orders.
- Replacement: Nicholas de Ovando replaced Columbus in 1502.

Cabildo: An established town featuring a municipal body that governs the town's administration.
Audiencia: A smaller organization similar to the Council of the Indies, responsible for local governance.
Regidores: Members of the cabildo who served as magistrates overseeing judicial functions in the town.
Encomienda: A labor system that forced a group (approximately 30 Arawak Indians) to work collectively for Spanish masters, who were further designated as encomenderos.
Repartimiento: A division of labor amongst the indigenous population, also involving a system that would assign native workers to Spanish colonists.
Visita: Inspections conducted by high officials from Spain to ensure compliance of colonial governance.
Council of the Indies: The main administrative and legislative body handling colonial affairs in Spain.

Sir Francis Drake: An English sea captain known for attacking Spanish towns, particularly infamous in 1572 for his raid on Nombre de Dios on the Isthmus of Panama.
Montesinos: A Dominican friar who arrived in Hispaniola in 1510 and began preaching against the injustices suffered by the indigenous population, calling out the abusive treatment by colonists.
Bartolomé de Las Casas: Another Dominican friar who emerged as a leading figure advocating for the humane treatment of Indians, coming to prominence due to his opposition to the encomienda system.

Purpose: Issued to protect the welfare, labor rights, and conversion to Christianity of native Americans; aimed at regulating the encomienda system.
Year Created: 1512 by King Ferdinand II of Aragon.
Content: Established that native Americans should live in close proximity (villages) to encomenderos, should convert to Christianity, and should receive compensation for their labor.
Enforcement Issues: Although aimed at improving treatment, these laws were not always effectively enforced.

Diego Velázquez: Led significant conquests and dispatched Hernán Cortés to conquer Cuba.
Hernán Cortés:
- Initially sent by Velázquez to Mexico; Cortés was dismissed as commander but defied orders and sailed to conquer the Aztec Empire with an expedition of eleven ships carrying 580 soldiers and various supplies.
- Became Alcalde of Santiago de Cuba, leading to his adept maneuvering of power in the conquest.
La Malinche (Dona Marina): An Aztec woman given to Cortés as a slave, she played a crucial role as a translator and advisor, enabling the Spanish to navigate and strategize against the Aztecs effectively.

Siege Tactics: Cortés and his men effectively cut off food and water supplies to the Aztecs, leading to starvation, disease (notably smallpox), and the eventual downfall of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.
- The siege lasted 93 days, culminating in the capture of last Aztec leaders including Montezuma II and Cuauhtémoc with minimal structural defenses left standing by August 13, 1521.

Montezuma II: Esteemed as one of the greatest Aztec leaders, he attempted to protect his people and was ultimately killed by his own subjects during the turmoil.
Cuauhtémoc: The last Aztec leader, captured during the Spanish victory over Tenochtitlan.

The Spanish colonization initiated profound changes in the power dynamics of the Americas, characterized by extensive exploitation and marked by socio-ethnic complexities.