The Age of Discovery: Columbus, Conquest, and New World Colonialism

The Search for New Trade Routes (Post-1453)

In 1453, the invasion of Constantinople by the Turks necessitated the establishment of new trade routes to reach the East.

Portuguese Routes

• The African route (Bartolomeu Dias)
• The route to India (Vasco da Gama)

Christopher Columbus's Project

Christopher Columbus presented his project to reach the Indies to the Catholic Monarchs in 1492. They accepted the proposal, and the Capitulations of Santa Fe were signed.

Columbus's Voyages

• First Voyage (1492)

  Sailed from Palos on August 3, 1492. Landfall occurred on October 12, 1492, at the island of Guanahani (San Salvador). Subsequent visits included Cuba and Hispaniola (Haiti).

• Second Expedition (1493)

  Departed in September 1493, consisting of 15 ships and 1,500 men.

• Third Expedition (1498)

  Traveled to the island of Trinidad.

• Fourth Expedition (1502)

  The final voyage.

Columbus died in Valladolid in 1506.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

This agreement between Spain and Portugal established an imaginary line 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands, dividing the newly discovered lands for colonization.

Major Pre-Columbian Civilizations

• The Maya

  Located south of the Yucatán Peninsula. Flourished between the 5th and 15th centuries. Primarily farmers.

• The Aztecs

  Located in the Valley of Mexico. Active between 1200 and 1519. Economy based on agriculture and trade.

• The Incas

  Located in South America (Andes region). Active between 1100 and 1432. Primarily farmers, ruled by an emperor.

The newly acquired American territories were collectively referred to as the Spanish Indies.

Major Conquest Expeditions

• Hernán Cortés: Conquered Mexico starting in 1518.
• Francisco Pizarro: Conquered Peru starting in 1531.

Other Notable Conquerors and Explorers

• Núñez Cabeza de Vaca: Explored Florida, Texas, and California.
• Pedro de Valdivia: Conquered Chile.
• Juan de Garay: Founded Buenos Aires.

All these territories were incorporated into the Crown of Castile, introducing the Spanish language, culture, religion, and laws.

Glossary of Colonial and Maritime Terms

Criollo

Children of Europeans born in America.

Mestizo

Son of a European and an Indigenous person.

Mulato

Son of a European and a Black person.

Viceroy

The monarch's representative in each major Crown territory (Viceroyalty).

Corregidor

Royal official who presided over a town council (Cabildo).

Morisco

A baptized Muslim in Spain.

Mesta

The powerful organization of sheep breeders in Castile.

Mayorazgo

A legal institution prohibiting the division of family patrimony, obligating it to be left to the eldest son as heir (entailment).

Portulano

Nautical charts detailing coastal shipping routes and ports.

Astrolabe

An instrument used for determining time and latitude based on the position of the stars.

Cabildo

The municipal government or town council established in the colonies.

Encomienda

A labor system that allowed Spanish settlers (encomenderos) to compel Indigenous people to work for them in exchange for protection and Christian instruction.

Mita

A forced labor system, often involving a lottery or drawing, compelling Indigenous people to work in the mines for wages (primarily used in the Andes).

Key Historical Figures