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THE CONQUEST AND COLONISATION OF AMERICA - Coggle Diagram
THE CONQUEST AND COLONISATION OF AMERICA
1 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONQUEST
Spaniards’ justification for the conquest was that they needed to convert the indigenous inhabitants to Christianity
The conquest oflarge empires occurred rapidly for various reasons:
Internal conflicts.
The indigenous peoples in America had suppressed other tribes to gain power, and this caused rivalries
Military equipment.
The conquistadores used firearms, metal armour and horses
Tactics
The conquistadores attacked the centre of each empire to capture the emperor, who held all the power.
The indigenous tribes were more difficult to conquer.
Not hierarchical
so the tactic of attacking the leader would not work.
The rainforests
firearms and armour could not be used effectively.
Tribes lived in small territories
in order to conquer an area similar to that of a large empire, the conquistadores had to fight numerous exhausting battles.
2 KEY CONQUESTS
Until the year 1515, the Castilian occupation had been limited to the Caribbean islands and the Isthmus of Panama.
These areas were used as a base for the conquest’s major expeditions.
The conquest of the Aztec Empire
Hernán Cortés left Cuba in 1519 and headed to the coast of what is now Mexico.
He became allied with indigenous groups that were suppressed by the Aztecs. With their help, Cortés enter Tenochtitlán.
Capture Emperor Montezuma II. The conquistadores had their final victory in 1521.
The southern part of today’s United States
From Mexico, explorers travelled to the southern part of today’s United States.
Expeditions were particularly important.
The conquest of the Mayan civilisation
Pedro de Alvarado left Mexico
Conquered main Mayan cities in Yucatán and Honduras
The conquest of the southern regions
It was very difficult to occupy these regions because of the resistance
Chile conquered by Pedro Valdivia
Paraguay and Río de la Plata conquered by Pedro de Mendoza, Juan de Ayolas and Domingo Martínez de Irala
The conquest of the Inca Empire
This expedition was led by Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro, in 1531
Benefited from the ongoing Inca Civil War.
Reached the heart of the Empire with just 62 horsemen and 110 soldiers. Captured Emperor Atahualpa.
Conquered Cuzco, the capital, and other major cities.