spanish empire 1528-1555

• Pizarro


  Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire in 1533
• Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire

  1533
• Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire


  • Happened through daring, cruelty and a good amount of luck
  • Pizarro's force of around 200 men defeated an Inca army of over 300,000
  • Incas were weakened by smallpox and civil war, making them no match for the greed and treachery of the Spaniards
• Despite an attempted revolt by the Inca people against Pizarro, the Spaniards were in full control of Peru and the whole Inca Empire by 1537
• The conquest of Peru


  Enabled Spain to exploit the existing silver mines that were worked by the Incas
• In 1545, huge new silver deposits were discovered that brought fabulous wealth to Spain
• The discovery of silver also brought immense suffering to the Inca natives, with thousands dying in the mines creating wealth for their conquerors
• Encomienda system


  Gave large areas of land in the New World to the Spaniards and gave them rights over - and responsibilities towards - the natives who lived there
• The Spanish government appointed viceroys in Mexico and Peru, along with a system of law courts and town councils, but these did not always work well
• All trade between Spain and the New World had to go through the Spanish city of Seville, which became enormously rich and its merchants both wealthy and powerful by 1555
• Pizarro's first expedition to Peru in 1524


  Was not a success, as they did not find any treasure, Almagro lost an eye, and the mangrove swamps along the coastline put them off any idea of establishing a settlement
• Pizarro's second expedition to Peru in 1526-1527


  • Was a bigger affair, consisting of two ships, 180 men and some horses
  • Ruiz, the pilot, intercepted a large native raft carrying hundreds of beautiful gold and silver objects, beads, jewels and finely embroidered cloaks and tunics
  • Pizarro refused to return to Panama with Ruiz, and was left marooned on Isla del Gallo with his men, with supplies of food running out
• When the rescue expedition arrived from Panama seven months later, only 13 men agreed to stay with Pizarro; the rest were only too relieved to be taken back to Panama
• Pizarro pressed on, southwards, and reached the Tumbes region of north-west Peru, where he and his men were warmly welcomed by the natives and amazed at the richness they saw all around them
• Getting permission for a third expedition to Peru

  1. Pizarro set off for Spain to make a direct request to King Charles I, taking with him gold, silver, samples of richly woven fabric, as well as some natives and some llamas

  2. On 26 July 1529, the king granted Pizarro a licence 'to discover and conquer Peru'

  3. Pizarro returned to Panama, where he assembled ships, provisions, conquistadors and sailors, and made certain that some of the Peruvians who had been captured on his second expedition came with him as translators
• In December 1530, three caravels carrying 180 men, arms, provisions and 27 horses sailed from Panama for Peru
• Pedro Cieza de Leon: 'Pizarro was downcast when he saw they all wanted to go. He quietly composed himself and said that of course they must return to Panama and the choice was theirs. He did not want them to leave because they would have their reward if and when they discovered a good land. As for himself, he felt that returning poor to Panama was a harder thing than staying to face death and hardship here.'
• Cronicas del Peru


  The first volume was published in 1553
• First volume of Cronicas del Peru published

  1553
• Pizarro was downcast when he saw they all wanted to go
• Pizarro did not want them to leave because they would have their reward if and when they discovered a good land
• Pizarro felt that returning poor to Panama was a harder thing than staying to face death and hardship here
• Pizarro begged them to re-examine their options, and to follow him, taking a sea route to discover what lay beyond
• The Indians that the pilot Ruiz had seized said such marvellous things about the land ahead
• Francisco Pizarro


  • Exploration and invasion
  • 1524-1525
  • 1526-1527
  • 1531-1533
• Inca


  Ruler or emperor
• The Inca Empire was at its height in terms of size and power in the 1520s
• The Inca Empire covered a large part of western South America
• The Inca Empire was a rich mixture of peoples and languages, with different traditions and different ways of making a living
• Not all of the different tribes were completely loyal to the Incas
• The Inca Empire contained huge cities, temples and fortresses with a network of well-maintained roads linking them; agricultural terraces; and gold and silver mines
• Huayna Capac, the Inca, was immensely powerful and was worshipped as a god by his people
• Smallpox had a devastating effect on the lives of the natives of Haiti
• Smallpox did not stay confined to Haiti, it spread to the Inca Empire
• Huayna Capac was just reaching the end of a successful series of wars in the north of his empire, and resting in Quito, when news came of an unknown disease that was sweeping his capital city of Cuzco
• Many of the Inca's family had died, as had his favourite generals and the governor of the city. Thousands of other people had perished too
• Traditional healers reported that their medicines were useless against the mysterious disease, which was smallpox
• After Huayna Capac's death in 1525, Atahuallpa Inca and Huascar Inca ruled two separate realms within the Inca Empire
• Civil war broke out between Atahuallpa and Huascar after a few months
• Civil war in the Inca Empire

  1. 1527 - Huascar establishes a power base in Cuzco

  2. Huascar has Atahuallpa arrested and imprisoned

  3. Atahuallpa escapes with the help of his wife and gains the support of Huayna Capac's best generals

  4. Atahuallpa and the generals put together a strong army of 80,000 Incan warriors, loyal to Atahuallpa

  5. 1529 Atahuallpa marches against his brother Huascar and civil war breaks out

  6. Spring 1532-Huascar and his forces, though superior in numbers, are defeated at the Battle of Chimborazo and forced to retreat

  7. April 1532 - The Battle of Quinpan is won decisively by Atahuallpa and his warriors

  8. April 1532 - Huascar is captured and killed. Atahuallpa takes over Cuzco