As Cortés and Pizarro conquered the civilizations of the Americas, fellow con-
quistadors defeated other native peoples. Spanish explorers also conquered the
Maya in Yucatan and Guatemala. By the middle of the 16th century, Spain had cre-
ated an American empire. It included New Spain (Mexico and parts of Guatemala),
as well as other lands in Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Spain’s Pattern of Conquest In building their new American empire, the
Spaniards drew from techniques used during the reconquista of Spain. When con-
quering the Muslims, the Spanish lived among them and imposed their Spanish
culture upon them. The Spanish settlers to the Americas, known as peninsulares,
were mostly men. As a result, relationships between Spanish settlers and native
women were common. These relationships created a large
mestizo—or mixed
Spanish and Native American—population.
Although the Spanish conquerors lived among the native people, they also
oppressed them. In their effort to exploit the land for its precious resources, the
Spanish forced Native Americans to work within a system known as
encomienda.
Under this system, natives farmed, ranched, or mined for Spanish landlords. These
landlords had received the rights to the natives’ labor from Spanish authorities. The
holders of encomiendas promised the Spanish rulers that they would act fairly and
respect the workers. However, many abused the natives and worked many laborers
to death, especially inside dangerous mines.
The Portuguese in Brazil One area of South America that remained outside of
Spanish control was Brazil. In 1500, Cabral claimed the land for Portugal. During
the 1530s, colonists began settling Brazil’s coastal region. Finding little gold or sil-
ver, the settlers began growing sugar. Clearing out huge swaths of forest land, the
Portuguese built giant sugar plantations. The demand for sugar in Europe was
great, and the colony soon enriched Portugal. In time, the colonists pushed farther
west into Brazil. They settled even more land for the production of sugar.
Francisco Pizarro
1475?–1541
Pizarro was the son of an
infantry captain and a young
peasant woman. His parents
never married. Raised by his
mother’s poor family, he
never learned to read.
Ambitious, brave, and
ruthless, he determined to make his fortune as an
explorer and conqueror.
Embarked on a voyage of conquest down the
west coast of South America, Pizarro was ordered
by the governor of Panama to abandon the
expedition to prevent the loss of lives. Pizarro took
his sword and drew a line in the dust, inviting
those of his followers who desired wealth and
fame to cross the line and follow him. Thus began
the conquest of Peru.
Pizarro founded the city of Lima, Peru’s capital,
in 1535. He became governor of Peru and
encouraged settlers from Spain.
Atahualpa
1502?–1533
Atahualpa was the last ruler
of the Incan empire in Peru.
After Atahualpa was
captured and held for
ransom by the Spanish, the
Incan people throughout the
empire brought gold and
silver that the Spanish then had melted down
into bullion and ingots. They accumulated 24 tons
of gold and silver, the richest ransom in history.
The Spanish executed Atahualpa despite the
ransom paid by his people. As he was about to
be burned at the stake, the Spanish offered him a
more merciful death by strangulation if he agreed
to convert to Christianity, which he did. Thus died
the last emperor of the Inca.
The Atlantic World 557
INTERNET ACTIVITY Create a poster about the
ransom paid by the Incan people to rescue
Atahualpa. Go to
classzone.com for your research.
