Columbus' Voyage to America in 1492

• The competition for wealth in Asia among European nations was fierce
• Christopher Columbus, a Genoese sea captain, made a daring voyage for Spain in 1492

Columbus' Voyage

• Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic, seeking an alternate trade route to Asia
• Columbus never reached Asia but landed on an island in the Caribbean
• The Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria sailed from a Spanish port on August 3, 1492
• On October 12, 1492, Columbus and his crew went ashore, believing they had reached the East Indies
• Columbus miscalculated and did not reach the East Indies; scholars believe he landed in the Bahamas
• Columbus claimed the island for Spain and named it San Salvador, or "Holy Savior"
• The natives present were the Taino, not Indians

More Voyages

• Spain financed three more trips for Columbus after his first voyage
• Columbus embarked on his second voyage to the Americas in September 1493
• Columbus returned to Spain and reported his findings after not finding gold on San Salvador
• Columbus journeyed no longer as an explorer, but as an empire builder
• The Islands of the Caribbean were transformed into colonies by the Spanish

Other Explorers

• Pedro Álvares Cabral, a Portuguese explorer, reached modern-day Brazil in 1500 and claimed it for Portugal
• Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian in the service of Portugal, traveled along the eastern coast of South America a year later
• The land was claimed as not part of asia, but instead a "new" world
• The new continent was named “America” in honor of Amerigo Vespucci
• Vasco Núñez de Balboa, a Spanish explorer, marched through modern-day Panama and became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean
• This led to Ferdinand Magellan convincing the king of Spain to fund his voyage into the newly discovered ocean
• Ferdinand Magellan sailed around the southern end of South America and into the Pacific
• Magellan and his crew eventually reached the Philippines, after months exploring without seeing land
• Magellan was involved in a local war in the Philippines, and was killed
• 18 men and one ship of Magellan's original crew arrived back in Spain after nearly three years
• These men were the first to circumnavigate the world

Hernando Cortés

• Cortés and many other Spanish explorers became known as conquistadors
• The conquistadors carved out colonies in regions that would become Mexico, South America, and the United States
• In 1519, Hernando Cortés landed on the shores of Mexico
• Vast lands full of gold and silver lured the Spanish conquistadors
• They could claim any land they reached as their own but would pay tribute to Spain
• The Spanish were the first European settlers in the Americas
• Spanish colonization enriched the empire and left a mark on the cultures of North and South America

Conquering the Aztecs

• The Aztec emperor, Montezuma II, agreed to give the Spanish a share of the empire's gold
• Cortés learned of the vast and wealthy Aztec Empire in the region's interior after landing in Mexico
• The Spanish reached the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán
• The Spanish launched a surprise attack, killing many Aztec warriors and chiefs
• The Aztecs eventually rebelled and drove out Cortés's forces
• Despite being outnumbered (600 men), Cortés and his men conquered the Aztecs in 1521
• The Spanish had superior weaponry and were able to enlist the help of native groups
• A native woman translator helped the Spanish learn that natives hated harsh practices and convinced them to join the Spanish side
• European diseases further helped the Spanish, as Native Americans did not have immunity

Conquering the Incan Empire

• In 1532, Francisco Pizarro marched a small force into South America
• Francisco Pizarro and his army of about 200 met the Incan ruler, Atahualpa
• Pizarro waited in ambush, crushed the Incan force, and kidnapped Atahualpa
• Atahualpa commanded a force of about 30,000, which brought several thousand mostly unarmed men for the meeting
• Atahualpa offered gold as ransom for his release, but Pizarro killed him after taking the money
• Taking their leader lowered morale of the Incans, making it easier to conquer the Incan Empire