Spanish Exploration and the Conquistadors

Motivations and Initial Impacts

• Spanish conquistadors explored the Western portions of what is today The United States, Central America, and South America.
• Explorers were driven by three primary goals: god, glory, and gold.
• The early experiences Native Americans had with conquistadors established a precedent of resistance against future European arrivals, including the English.

The Treaty of Tordesillas ($1494$)

• Signed in $1494$, this treaty divided unexplored lands between Portugal and Spain.
• Spain received a lopsided advantage, gaining claims to massive territories across North, Central, and South America.

Notable Conquistadors and Exploration

• Vasco Nunez Balboa: Discovered Panama, identifying it as a narrow land bridge connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
• Ponce de Leon: Claimed Florida for Spain while searching for the mythical fountain of youth.
• Francisco Coronado: Explored Arizona and New Mexico, establishing Santa Fe as a Catholic mission.
• Francisco Pizarro: Led the conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru.
• Hernan Cortes: Defeated the Aztec Empire in Mexico.
• DeSoto: Credited with the discovery of the Mississippi River.

Circumnavigation of the Globe

• Ferdinand Magellan began a round-the-world expedition in $1519$.
• Magellan was killed in The Philippines in $1521$.
• Although Magellan did not survive, his crew continued the voyage; of the original $5$ ships, one returned in $1522$, proving that circumnavigation was possible.

Consequences for Native American Relations

• The destruction of the Aztec and Inca empires sent a message across the Americas regarding the intent of white Europeans.
• This "ripple effect" caused Native American societies to become defensive and resistant when the English arrived to establish the $13$ colonies, as they generalized the actions of the conquistadors to all European newcomers.