Unit 2, Chapter 11

Vocab

Ideology- A set of values

Catastrophe- a disaster

Encomienda- Land grants given to Spanish settlers with slaves

Franciscan Order- a group of catholic priests who took a vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and worked with the lower class

Mestizo- A person of Spanish and Aztec descent

Viceroy- representative of a colony

Creoles- descendants of Spanish settlers

A New Religion

  • The Franciscan priests vowed to live in poor conditions, never marry, and to obey their superiors without question

  • When they arrived in Mexico City, Cortes knelt and kissed the hem of their robes

  • The Aztecs were amazed. They had never seen Cortes treat anyone with such respect

  • They destroyed Aztec temples to convert the Aztecs to Christianity

A New Economy

  • The Spanish introduced a new economic system called the encomienda

  • With each piece of land, settlers were allotted several Aztec workers

  • Many landowners abused their workers

  • The Spanish Crown passed laws to stop these abuses, but the colonies were too far away to have much effect

Where the Money Went

  1. The Spanish Crown- 20% of all fold and other valuable found in New Spain

  2. Viceroy or Governor- collects enough taxes to support himself, the colonial government, and the Crown

  3. Conquistadors or Settlers- given encomiendas with Aztec workers. After paying taxes, they kept whatever profit

  4. Aztecs- Did all the actual work in exchange for bare necessities

Cortes’ Solution

Policy 1: Encomienda

Policy 2: Marriage law. Every Spaniard in New Spain had to bring his wife or marry an indigenous woman. Any man who failed to do this within six months would lose his encomienda

The Independence Movement

  • King Carlos took the governorship away from Cortes and gave it to one of his most trusted councilors, Don Antonio de Mendoza

  • Mendoza became the first Viceroy. He kept Cortes away from Mexico City

  • King Carlos made it clear that the colony was under the direct control of the Spanish Crown

  • The people of New Spain could see that it was great for the king but not for them

  • The colony was making Spain rich

  • New Spain had shortages of roads, housing, and schools

  • Discontent roses among every class of society

  • In 1812, Mexico became independent from Spain