Spains Early Explorations

Learning Objective: Students will be able to

describe the contributions of Columbus and
Magellan to the Age of Exploration.

Key Explorers for Spain

It was Ferdinand and Isabella who sponsored the

voyages of Christopher Columbus. The Italianborn Columbus thought that the Indies, or
eastern Asia, lay on the other side of the Atlantic
Ocean. He believed sailing west would be the
easiest route to reach it.
When Columbus failed to win Portuguese support
for his idea, Ferdinand and Isabella agreed to pay
for the risky voyage
In August 1492, three ships left Spain under
Columbuss command. As the weeks went by,
some of the men began to fear they would never
see Spain again. Then, on October 12, a lookout
sighted land. Columbus had landed in the
Carribean islands.

For three months, Columbus and his men

explored nearby islands with the help of
native islanders. Thinking they were in the
Indies, the Spanish soon called all the local
people Indians.
In March 1493, Columbus arrived back in
Spain. He proudly reported that he had
reached Asia. Over the next ten years, he
made three more voyages to what he called
the Indies. He died in Spain in 1506, still
insisting that he had sailed to Asia.

Think Pair/Share
Why did Columbus sail west?
A. Because Portugal prevented him sailing east.
B. Because he thought America lay on the other
side of the Atlantic.
C. Because a storm sent his expedition of course.
D. Because he thought eastern Asia lay on the other
side of the Atlantic.

D. Because he thought eastern Asia lay on

the other side of the Atlantic.

Ferdinand
Magellan
Magellan believed
he could sail west
to the Indies. He
was looking for a
strait, or channel,
through South
America. In August
1519, he set sail
with five ships and
about two hundred
and fifty men.

Magellan looked for the strait all along South

Americas east coast. He finally found it at the
southern tip of the continent. Today, it is called
the Strait of Magellan.
Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean in
November 1520. It took another three months
to cross the Pacific.
Continuing west, Magellan visited the
Philippines. There he became involved in a
conflict between two local chiefs. In April 1521,
Magellan was killed in the fighting.
Magellans crew sailed on to the Spice Islands.
Three years after the expedition began, the
only ship to survive the expedition returned to

Routes of Early Spanish

Explorers

Think Pair/Share
True or False
Why?
Magellan returned to Spain in 1523 with 18 sailors.

The Impact of Early Spanish

Exploration
The early Spanish explorations changed

Europeans view of the world a great deal. The

voyages of Christopher Columbus revealed the
existence of the Americas.
Magellans expedition opened up a westward
route to the Indies. It showed that it was possible
to sail completely around the world. Columbuss
voyages marked the beginning of Spanish
settlement in the West Indies. Spain earned great
wealth from its settlements.

For the native people of the West Indies, however,

Spanish settlement was extremely detrimental.
The Spanish forced native people to work as slaves
in the mines and on the plantations.
Priests forced many of them to become Christians.
When the Spanish arrived, perhaps one or two
million Taino lived on the islands. Within fifty years,
fewer than five hundred Taino were left. The rest
had died of starvation, overwork, or European
diseases.
Since the native populations died, the Spanish
brought millions of enslaved Africans to work in

Whiteboards
How did Spanish and Portuguese exploration affect
people in Africa?
A. Africans found a new sea route around the world.
B. Africans attended Prince Henrys navigation school.
C. Africans were enslaved and brought to the
Americas.
D.Africans sold spices to Portugal and Spain.

C. Africans were enslaved and brought to the

Americas.

End day one

Later Spanish Exploration

and Conquest

Learning Objective: Students will be

able to describe the conquest of the
native peoples in the Americas by

Key Terms
detrimental: something that does harm or

damage.
epidemics: an outbreak of a contagious

disease that spreads quickly and over a

wide geographic area.
Conquistador: a Spanish conqueror

Key Explorers
After Columbuss voyages, Spain was eager to

claim even more lands in the New World. To

explore and conquer "New Spain," the Spanish
turned to adventurers called conquistadors, or
conquerors. The conquistadors were allowed
to establish settlements and seize the wealth
of natives.

Routes of Later Spanish Explorers

Hernn
Corts
In 1519, Spanish
explorer Hernn
Corts (erNAHN
koorTEZ), with and
a band of fellow
conquistadors, set
out to explore
present-day Mexico
and defeated the
Aztec empire.

The Aztec ruler, Moctezuma II, welcomed the

Spanish with great honors. Determined to break
the power of the Aztecs, Corts took Moctezuma
hostage.
Eventually, the huge Aztec army was defeated by
the Spanish.

Whiteboards
Spanish explorer Hernan Cortez conquered the
A.
B.
C.
D.

Inca Empire.
Taino Indians.
Aztec Empire
The New World

C. Aztec Empire

Four factors contributed to the

defeat of the Aztec Empire.
First, Aztec legend had predicted the arrival of a white-

skinned god. When Corts appeared, the Aztecs

welcomed him because they thought he might be this
god, Quetzalcoatl.
Second, Corts was able to make allies of the Aztecs
enemies.
Third, their horses, armor, and superior weapons gave
the Spanish an advantage in battle.
Fourth, the Spanish carried diseases that caused deadly
epidemics among the Aztecs.
Aztec riches inspired Spanish conquistadors to continue

their search for gold.

Francisco
Pizarro
In the 1520s, Francisco
Pizarro received
permission from Spain to
conquer the Inca Empire
in South America.

Routes of Later Spanish Explorers

By the time Pizarro arrived,

however, a civil war had

weakened that empire. In April
1532, the Incan emperor,
Atahualpa (ahtuhWAHLpuh),
greeted the Spanish as guests.
Following Cortss example,
Pizarro launched a surprise
attack and kidnapped the
emperor.
Although the Incas paid a roomful

of gold and silver in ransom, the

Spanish killed Atahualpa. Without
their leader, the Inca Empire
quickly fell apart.

Whiteboards
Spanish explorer Francisco Pizzaro conquered
the
A.
B.
C.
D.

Inca Empire.
Taino Indians.
Aztec Empire
The New World

A. Inca Empire

The Impact of Later Spanish

Exploration and Conquest
Besides gold and silver, ships from the Americas brought corn, potatoes,

chocolate, and raw materials to Spain.

The Spanish conquests had a major impact on the New World. The

Spanish introduced new animals to the Americas, such as horses, cattle,

sheep, and pigs.
The Spanish also imported slaves from Africa to work on the plantations

in the new world after much of the native populations had died.
Spain introduced diseases to the New World that killed many of the
natives, such as smallpox.
Spain destroyed two advanced civilizations. The Aztecs and Incas lost

much of their culture along with their wealth. Many became laborers for
the Spanish. Millions died from disease.

End day two

Sir Francis Drake

Between 1577 and 1580
Francis Drake sailed
around the world. He also
claimed part of what is
now California for England,
English exploration also
contributed to a war
between England and
Spain.

As English ships roamed the seas, some captains,

nicknamed "sea dogs," began raiding Spanish ports
and ships to take their gold. The English raids added
to other tensions between England and Spain. In
1588, King Philip II of Spain sent an armada, or fleet
of ships, to invade England. With 130 heavily armed
vessels and about thirty thousand men, the Spanish
Armada seemed an unbeatable force.
Drake defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Why is this important?
The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked the start
of a shift in power in Europe. By 1630, Spain no
longer dominated the continent. With Spains
decline, other countriesparticularly England and
the Netherlandstook a more active role in trade
and colonization around the world.
This is important because it led to more European,

Other European Explorations

The Italian sailor
John Cabot made
Englands first
voyage of
discovery. Cabot
believed he
could reach the
Indies by sailing
northwest across
the Atlantic.

In 1497, John Cabot landed in what is now Canada.

Believing he had reached the northeast coast of
Asia, he claimed the region for England.
Another Italian, Giovanni da Verrazano, sailed under
the French flag. In 1524, Verrazano explored the
Atlantic coast from present-day North Carolina to
Canada. His voyage gave France its first claims in
the Americas.
Sailing on behalf of the Netherlands, English
explorer Henry Hudson wanted to find a northwest
passage through North America to the Pacific Ocean.
Such a water route would allow ships to sail from
Europe to Asia without entering waters controlled by
Spain.
Hudson did not find a northwest passage, but he did
explore what is now called the Hudson River in
present-day New York State.

Routes of Other European Explorers

Impact of Exploration on Europe

As a result of exploration, more goods, raw

materials, and precious metals entered
Europe. By the 1700s, European ships traveled
trade routes that spanned the globe.

Key Terms
Capitalism: an economic system based on
investment of money for profit.
Market economy: an economy in which prices are
determined by the buying and selling decisions of
individuals in the marketplace
Mercantilism: an economic policy by which nations
try to gather wealth by establishing colonies and
controlling trade.
All these terms deal with economics, or money.