Topic 14- Europe in America

• Europe in America - The Winners and impacts

  • "Winners" - Spaniards and British
  • Impacts -
  • Demographic catastrophe
  • Spread of European culture (modified)
• Native America, C. 1500 - South of the Rio Grande

  • 45 million
  • Horticultural/sedentary
  • Densely populated/urbanized
  • Tenochtitlan (Mexico) – pop 200,000 (3x Seville, Spain)
• The Making of New Spain - Conquests

  • Caribbean (1492-1514)
  • Mexico (1519-21), Peru (1532)
  • Rich, populous native kingdoms
• The Making of New Spain - Spanish Gains

  • Rule over 20m Indians
  • Indian labor + tribute
  • Towns/cities
  • Silver/gold
  • Conversion opportunities
• Northern New Spain

  • No rich native kingdoms north of the Rio Grande
  • Would-be "conquistadors" become only explorers
• The Making of New Spain - Conquest of Mexico

  • 1519-1521
  • Spaniards + Indian allies vs. Aztecs
  • Tenochtitlan becomes Mexico City
• Valladolid Debate (1550-1551) - Sepulveda

  • Indians “natural slaves”
  • Human sacrifice shows lack of reason/humanity
• Demographic Catastrophe, c. 1500-1600

  Basics

  • Indian population decline
  • War
  • Abuse
  • Disease – lack of immunity

  The Numbers

  • Hispaniola - 300,000 to 500
  • Mexico - 15m to 700,000
  • Peru - 10m to 600,000