Battles in Lincestis

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONQUEST AND COLONISATION:

1. It was a rapid process. In less than 150 years the whole continent had been explored, and the great empires (Incas and Aztecs) defeated.

2. The conquistadors were a mercenary army, many of them members of the low - ranking nobility o Hidalgos (hijos de algo, like Don Quixote or the noble of Lazarillo de Tormes). The conquest of America was the perfect job for pícaros, buscavidas, aventureros.  

3. It was based on CAPITULACIONES. By this system the Crown granted concessions to those with the rank of Captain, giving them permission to form an expedition, which they had to pay for, and to conquer a specific territory. In exchange, the conquerors had to give el Quinto Real to the Crown. In other words, the discovery and conquest of America was a private enterprise, very often uncontrolled by Castie’s administration (Remember the film about Hernán Cortés, that shows him as a fugitive of the Spanish justice). The most famous CAPITULACIÓN is the one of Santa Fe (1492), by which Columbus was appointed by the Catholic KIngs Virrey, Gobernador and Almirante of all the lands discovered.

4. The idea of evangelizing the indians and to make millions of converts to Christianity is on of the strong points of the Colonisation. NOTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED IN THE ENGLISH COLONISATION OF NORTH AMERICA.

5. The goal of all this Conquistadores was to become rich quickly. This led automatically to the brutal exploitation of America. Castille tried to send farmers to work the land, but finding gold was more attractive than digging the land. This philosophy of exploiting and sacking is deeply rooted in the colonial history of America. It is very different from the one existing in North America, colonised by English protestants (Mayflower). In North America a pre capitalist system, based on trade, was established

   6. The success of the Conquest cannot be understood without the participation of the the BACTERIOLOGICAL WAR (basically, the smallpox)

7. The Conquest was based on the foundation of cities (Buenos Aires, Lima, Santiago, Asunción, Santo Domingo, etc…)

8. The Spaniards, being inferior in number, were able to summon up all the tribes submitted to Incas and Aztecs to fight by their side. In other words, they took advantage of the inner conflicts in the Aztec and Inca empires.

9. The use of powder (cannons, fire weapons), horse battles, hounds and steel were decisive to defeat all their enemies.   

Y también la lluvia (Icíar Bollaín)

The hounds

10. The colonisation was only open to Castellanos viejos, men without any trace of Jewish or Muslim blood.

11. Trade in the Spanish colonies was a monopoli of the Metropole, Castile. It was organised from the Casa de Contratación in Sevilla. Ships had to register there before departing or arriving to America. It was like this until the independence of the colonies. This trade was allowed to the Crown of Aragon only after 1715 (Decretos de Nueva Planta)

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