The conquest, the colonization, the administration and the exploitation of the Indies.

1. CONQUEST, COLONIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION
OF THE INDIES

2. During Charles V and Philip II´s
reigns the conquest of the Indies
was fulfilled and the administration
of the territory was established.
The Crown organized the exploration
and conquest of the Indies through
agreements (capitulations) with
explorers and conquistadors.
The capitulations established the
conditions, privileges, honours and
rights every part would receive and
the distribution of the riches
discovered, following the model of
the capitulations signed by Columbus
and the Catholic Monarchs.

3. THE CONQUEST
Quick conquest, due to:
-Military superiority of the
conquistadors: horses, gunpowder,
guns…
- Ambitions and desire of enrichment
of the conquistadors
- Rivalry between the indigenous
cultures. The conquistadors took
advantage of these rivalries and signed
alliances with some tribes to
compensate their lack of soldiers in the
Indies.
-Impact of the European diseases
over the Amerindians

4. DEMOGRAPHIC IMPACT OF THE COLONIZATION OF THE INDIES
The Europeans spread many diseases
that resulted mortal for the Amerindians:
-Measles
-Smallpox
-Flu
-Typhus
There was a demographic catastrophe, especially
in the Caribbean Islands: African slaves were
brought to substitute the dead.
Smallpox epidemics
In many places,the population didn´t recover
the Pre-Hispanic levels until the 20th
century

5. Vasco Núñez de Balboa
crossed the Isthmus of
Panama and reached the
Pacific Ocean in 1513
EXPLORATIONS
NÚÑEZ DE BALBOA

6. FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE WORLD
Magellan and Elcano expedition found a sea route from
the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and it proved that the
Earth is a sphere.

7. PONCE DE LEÓN
FLORIDA
ORELLANA, AMAZON RIVER
CABEZA DE VACA,
IGUAZÚ FALLS AND GULF
OF MEXICO
•Ponce de León discovered
Florida
•Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
explored Florida, Texas and
California.
•Hernando de Soto reached the
Mississippi River in 1541.
•Francisco de Orellana sailed
the Amazon River in 1542.

8. STAGES OF THE CONQUEST
CONQUEST OF THE ANTILLES1ST
STAGE
2ND
STAGE
3RD
STAGE
CONQUEST OF THE AZTEC EMPIRE
CONQUEST OF THE INCA EMPIRE

9. CONQUEST OF THE ANTILLES (1492-1519)
- it finished in 1511.
- As most of the Amerindians died,
the islands were repopulated with
black slaves brought from Africa.
- After the discovery of the eastern
coast of Brazil by Pedro Álvarez
Cabral in 1500, the Portuguese began
to occupy Brazil, as had been decided
in the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494).
ÁLVAREZ CABRAL EXPEDITION

10. CONQUEST OF THE AZTEC EMPIRE
HERNÁN CORTÉS MOCTEZUMA
- Led by Hernán Cortés.
-Cortés and his men captured
Moctezuma, the Aztec Emperor
and defeated the Aztecs in the
Battle of Otumba (1521) with
the cooperation of other
indigenous peoples (Toltecs
and Olmecs).
-Later Cortés conquered
Guatemala and Honduras.

11. CONQUEST OF THE INCA EMPIRE
FRANCISCO PIZARRO
ATAHUALPA
DIEGO DE ALMAGRO PEDRO VALDIVIA
- Led by Francisco
Pizarro and Diego de
Almagro.
- They captured and
killed Atahualpa, the
Inca Emperor in 1533
and occupied Cuzco,
the capital city of the
Empire.
- Later Pedro de
Valdivia conquered
Chile, fighting against
the Araucanians.

12. JUAN DE GARAY
•Juan de Garay founded the
city of Buenos Aires in 1536.
This territory was later called
Río de la Plata (River Plate).
•In Asia, Legazpi and Urdaneta
conquered the Philippines
Islands.
OTHER CONQUESTS
ANDRÉS DE URDANETA

13. ADMINISTRATION: INSTITUTIONS TO RULE THE INDIES
CASA DE LA CONTRATACIÓN (TRADING HOUSE)
SEVILLE
COUNCIL OF THE INDIES
It controlled trade with the Indies and collected
the royal fifth (20% of trade transactions)
-It made the Laws of the Indies
-It appointed the people who had
to hold posts in the Indies

14. INSTITUTIONS IN THE INDIES
- TWO VICE-ROYALTIES:
- New Spain
-Perú
In the 18th
century two more Vice-
royalties were created: New
Granada and Río de la
Plata.
Viceroys were appointed by the
Council of the Indies and were the
king’s representatives in the Indies.
The viceroyalties were divided into
provinces, called governorates, ruled
by governors.
-CABILDOS to rule municipalities
-AUDIENCIAS (Courts of Justice)

15. EXPLOITATION OF THE INDIES
ENCOMIENDA
MITA
Every colonist received a plot of land
and a number of Amerindians to work
in them. The only obligation of the
colonist with the Amerindians was to
teach them the Catholic religion and
to protect them.
Forced work in the mines. The natives
received a salary in exchange for their
work, but they were forced to buy all
they needed in the colonists´ shops.
The kings forbade indigenous slavery and considered the Amerindias to be their subjects. But many
colonists abused the Amerindians.

16. BARTOLOMÉ DE LAS CASAS
DEFENSE OF THE NATIVES
The Dominican friar Bartolomé de las
Casas, a former encomendero denounced
the explotation of the Amerindians and
defended them from the brutality of the
colonists. He wrote A short account of the
destruction of the Indies. His fight led to
the passing of the New Laws of the Indies,
which ordered the dissolution of the
encomienda system and forbade
indigenous slavery. He was appointed
“Protector of the Indians”, although he
never rejected black slavery.

17. POPULATION OF THE INDIES
MESTIZO SLAVES FROM AFRICAAMERINDIANS
CREOLESPENINSULARS

18. PRODUCTS FROM AMERICAN ORIGIN
Some of them. like corn and potato, were basic to reduce hunger and
improve the Europeans´ diet.