The New World

Question 1

List 3 examples of places explored in Charles’ reign (there was much greater expansion)

Answer 1

• Mexico
• Peru
• civilisation in Yucatan

Question 2

Where did Cortes lead an expedition in 1519? Who did he go with?

Answer 2

• to Vera Cruz in Mexico

- 600 men, 16 horses, 6 pieces of artillery

Question 3

In 1521, Tenochtitlan was conquered. Where is this and what happened?

Answer 3

• capital of the Aztec empire

- they took Emperor Montezuma prisoner and overwhelmed Aztec forces

Question 4

In 1532, who defeated the Incas and where?

Answer 4

• Pizarro
• defeated the Incas in the Andes of Peru
• 160 men

Question 5

What three things ensured that Pizarro was able to defeat the Incas in the Andes of Peru?

Answer 5

Use of:

• horses
• steel swords
• guns

Question 6

Who were the enemies of the Aztecs and Incas and how did this help the conquistadors?

Answer 6

• the Tlaxcalar tribe
• succession crisis in the Inca empire
• the enemies gave the conquistadors troops, geographical knowledge and knowledge of the inhabitants

Question 7

What was the prime motivation of the conquistadors?

Answer 7

• the hope of easy riches in the New World

Question 8

What shows that the indigenous people realised it was money that the conquistadors wanted?

Answer 8

• they believed they could pay them off
• a Manco-Incan warrier led a revolt against Pizarro and commented “even if the snow of the Andes turned to gold, still they would not be satisfied”`

Question 9

What didn’t the indigenous people realise about the conquistadors?

Answer 9

• that there was more of them

- they wanted to settle permanently

Question 10

What did the chronicler of Cortes’ expedition comment about the aims of the exploration?

Answer 10

“We came to serve God and his majesty… and to get rich”

Question 11

What was an important additional motivator for the conquistadors?

Answer 11

• religion

- every expedition had one priest who was determined to convert the natives to the Christian faith

Question 12

Why was it easier to establish effective royal government?

Answer 12

• there were no noble families to placate

- there were no representative assemblies

Question 13

What was Charles’ first problem to deal with and why?

Answer 13

• the power of the conquistadors as he didn’t want them as powerful, virtually independent nobility

Question 14

When the Council of Indies was established, who were used?

Answer 14

• letrados, many of whom had lived in the Indies for some period of time

Question 15

What were the three purposes of the Council of the Indies?

Answer 15

• supreme court of appeal

- drew up all necessary laws

Question 16

Who were appointed to govern Mexico and Peru?

Answer 16

• Spanish viceroys

Question 17

What safeguards were used to ensure that a viceroy didn’t become too powerful?

Answer 17

• the audiencia: it oversaw the implementation of the Crown’s policies and acted as a court of law
• at the end of their term of office a viceroy would be subject to review

Question 18

Though there were issues with communication between Spain and the Indies, how was the system overall?

Answer 18

• effective

Question 19

What powers did Charles have in the New World?

Answer 19

• he could control Church appointments

- he could oversee Church activities without papal interference

Question 20

How did Charles pursue his primary aim of converting the natives to Christianity?

Answer 20

• presence of large numbers of Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits

Question 21

Although the Spanish crown, administrators and Crown probably all wished to see a just system introduced for the natives, who was the most influencial supporter of Indian rights?

Answer 21

• Las Casas

Question 22

What title was given to Las Casas and what did he attack?

Answer 22

• “Protector of the Indians”

- attacked the system of encomiendas as unjust and tyrannical

Question 23

What did Las Casas action lead to?

Answer 23

• 1542: New Laws
• forbade Indian slavery and granting new encomiendas
• colonists found guilty of mistreating Indians were ordered to lose their encomiendas

Question 24

In spite of the efforts of Spanish administrators, many natives died. Over 50 years, 1518-1568, what was the difference in population of Indians?

Answer 24

• 1518: 25 million (approx)
• 1568: 3 million (approx)
• 22 million died

Question 25

What were the factors that led to the death of so many natives?

Answer 25

• overwork

- diseases (‘the Colombian exchange’) eg. smallpox

Question 26

The Indies provided a market for Castilian products, which products?

Answer 26

• cloth, oil, wine

Question 27

Which new products did Spain receive?

Answer 27

• chocolate
• pineapple
• tomato
• rubber

Question 28

What were some more indirect benefits of the New World other than the bullion?

Answer 28

• social mobility eg. Cortes became a marquis and gain land in Mexico
• new ideas and ways of thinking
• those who were made rich built new houses and invested in the arts

Question 29

The conquistadors were often formers soldiers and sailors who had fought in Granada and Italy. Were they all minor nobles?

Answer 29

• no, some minor nobles eg. Cortes

- some illiterate labourer eg. Pizarro

Question 30

Between 1524 and 1536, how many conversions were there in Mexico alone?

Answer 30

4 million

Question 31

In 1545, what was discovered?

Answer 31

• silver mines at Potosi

Question 32

What were the economic benefits of the discovery of the silver mines at Potosi in 1545?

Answer 32

• colonists paid taxes
• Crown gained the quinto real of the wealth
• able to take out foreign loans on the security of the gold and silver

Question 33

What are the more indirect benefits of the discovery of the silver mines at Potosi in 1545?

Answer 33

• social mobility
• Cortes became a marquis and gained enormous territory in Mexico
• New World generated new ideas and thinking