
Where did the Spanish mostly settle in North America? Although Spain established colonies in North America in the seventeenth century by 1750 most remained small military outposts. In Florida the principal Spanish settlements were located at St. Augustine Apalachee Bay and Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay is a bay located in the northwestern part of Florida, United States, known as the Florida Panhandle. The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, is located in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County, adjacent to the city of Pensacola, Florida, and is about 13 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. T…
Full Answer
When did Spanish exploration and settlement begin?
Spanish Exploration and Settlement. Exploration and settlement of the New World (the European term for North and South America) began in the late fifteenth century as a direct result of events in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Where did the Spanish settle in Latin America after 1550?
The two main areas of Spanish settlement after 1550 were Mexico and Peru, the sites of the Aztec and Inca indigenous civilizations. Equally important, rich deposits of the valuable metal silver.
What did the Spaniards find in Mexico?
In Mexico the Spaniards found advanced civilizations that had perfected sophisticated architectural and agricultural techniques. They also discovered an abundance of gold and silver, which enticed other Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) to mount expeditions to the continent.
How did the Spanish colonize the Americas?
The Spanish colonization of the Americas began under the Crown of Castile, and was spearheaded by the Spanish conquistadors. The Americas were invaded and incorporated into the Spanish Empire, with the exception of Brazil, British America, and some small regions in South America and the Caribbean.

What is at the center of a Spanish colonial city?
At the heart of Spanish colonial cities was a central plaza, with the main church, town council (cabildo) building, residences of the main civil and religious officials, and the residences of the most important residents (vecinos) of the town built there.
Where was the Spanish empire centered?
Beginning with the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean and gaining control over more territory for over three centuries, the Spanish Empire would expand across the Caribbean Islands, half of South America, most of Central America and much of North America.
What settlements did the Spanish build?
In 1493, during his second voyage, Columbus founded Isabela, the first permanent Spanish settlement in the New World, on Hispaniola. After finding gold in recoverable quantities nearby, the Spanish quickly overran the island and spread to Puerto Rico in 1508, to Jamaica in 1509, and to Cuba in 1511.
What was the purpose for Spanish settlement?
Throughout the colonial period, the missions Spain established would serve several objectives. The first would be to convert natives to Christianity. The second would be to pacify the areas for colonial purposes.
What was the Spanish Empire known for?
One of the largest empires in history, it was, in conjunction with the Portuguese, the first to usher the European Age of Discovery and achieve a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, the archipelago of Philippines, various islands in the Pacific and territories in Western Europe and Africa.
What was the most significant result of the Spanish colonization of Central and South America?
Answer and Explanation: The most significant result of the Spanish colonization of Central and South America was the spread of the Spanish language to that area. After Mandarin, Spanish is the second most widely-spoken language in the world.
What was the impact of Spain's settlement in the Americas?
The impact of Spain's settlement in the Americas was to convert all American Native Indians to Catholic.
Where did the Spanish settle in the United States?
Even before Jamestown or the Plymouth Colony, the oldest permanent European settlement in what is now the United States was founded in September 1565 by a Spanish soldier named Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in St. Augustine, Florida.
What did Spain bring to the New World?
Tomatoes, chocolate, potatoes, corn, green beans, peanuts, vanilla, pineapple, and turkey transformed the European diet, while Europeans introduced sugar, cattle, pigs, cloves, ginger, cardamon, and almonds to the Americas.
What kind of economy did the Spanish colonies have?
During the Spanish colonial period, the economy was based on exploitation, both of land and of Native American labor. The first Spanish settlers organized the encomienda system by which Spaniards were given title to American land and ownership of the villages on that land.
What were the 3 reasons why the Spanish came to the New World?
Motives. Spain encouraged settlements in the New World to strengthen her claims to territory; to secure gold, silver, and valuable agricultural produce, such as sugar and indigo (a blue dye); and to convert the Indians to Catholicism. ... Extent. ... Life in the Spanish Colonies.Decline of the Spanish Empire.
What are the three most important reasons for the Spanish conquest?
Superior Weapons. Spanish weaponry was far superior to anything used by the Aztecs or Incas. ... Alliances and Experience. The invading Spanish forces also took advantage of internal divisions within the Aztec and Inca empires. ... The Power of Horses. ... Deadly Disease.
What countries did the Spanish Empire control?
Spain kept control of two colonies in its empire in America: Cuba and Puerto Rico. It also held onto the Philippines and some preserved islands in Oceania, including the Caroline Islands (including the Palau Islands) and the Marianas (including Guam).
Which states were part of the Spanish Empire?
Florida, Louisiana, Texas, California, Colorado and quite a few southwestern states in the United States were once part of the Spanish Empire; some eventually were part of the Mexican Empire after Mexican independence in 1821 and before the 1846-1848 Mexican-American War (see Old West).
How many countries did the Spanish Empire rule?
In fact, Spain held 35 colonies at various points in history, exacting its power so widely it was called "the empire on which the sun never sets," an expression that also began to be used in reference to Great Britain when the latter's prominence overcame Spain's.
What part of Africa did Spain colonize?
The effective Spanish colonization of Africa was finally established in the first third of the 20th century. North Morocco, Ifni, the Tarfaya region, Western Sahara, and the territories of early-21st-century Equatorial Guinea comprised what broadly could be defined as Spanish colonial Africa.
What was the Spanish expansion?
The Spanish expansion has sometimes been succinctly summed up as "gold, glory, God." The search for material wealth, the enhancement of the conquerors' and the crown's position, and the expansion of Christianity. In the extension of Spanish sovereignty to its overseas territories, authority for expeditions ( entradas) of discovery, conquest, and settlement resided in the monarchy. Expeditions required authorization by the crown, which laid out the terms of such expedition. Virtually all expeditions after the Columbus voyages, which were funded by the crown of Castile, were done at the expense of the leader of the expedition and its participants. Although often the participants, conquistadors, are now termed “soldiers”, they were not paid soldiers in ranks of an army, but rather soldiers of fortune, who joined an expedition with the expectation of profiting from it. The leader of an expedition, the adelantado was a senior with material wealth and standing who could persuade the crown to issue him a license for an expedition. He also had to attract participants to the expedition who staked their own lives and meager fortunes on the expectation of the expedition’s success. The leader of the expedition pledged the larger share of capital to the enterprise, which in many ways functioned as a commercial firm. Upon the success of the expedition, the spoils of war were divvied up in proportion to the amount a participant initially staked, with the leader receiving the largest share. Participants supplied their own armor and weapons, and those who had a horse received two shares, one for himself, the second recognizing the value of the horse as a machine of war. For the conquest era, two names of Spaniards are generally known because they led the conquests of high indigenous civilizations, Hernán Cortés, leader of the expedition that conquered the Aztecs of Central Mexico, and Francisco Pizarro, leader of the conquest of the Inca in Peru.
What was the result of the Spanish American wars of independence?
In the early 19th century, the Spanish American wars of independence resulted in the secession and subsequent division of most Spanish territories in the Americas, except for Cuba and Puerto Rico, which were lost to the United States in 1898, following the Spanish–American War.
What was the Spanish empire's territory?
Beginning with the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean and gaining control over more territory for over three centuries, the Spanish Empire would expand across the Caribbean Islands, half of South America, most of Central America and much of North America.
What was the Spanish colony of the Americas?
e. The Spanish colonization of the Americas began under the Crown of Castile, and was spearheaded by the Spanish conquistadors. The Americas were invaded and incorporated into the Spanish Empire, with the exception of Brazil, British America, and some small regions in South America and the Caribbean. The crown created civil and religious structures ...
Why did the Jesuits resist the Crown?
The Jesuits resisted crown control, refusing to pay the tithe on their estates that supported the ecclesiastical hierarchy and came into conflict with bishops. The most prominent example is in Puebla, Mexico, when Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza was driven from his bishopric by the Jesuits. The bishop challenged the Jesuits' continuing to hold Indian parishes and function as priests without the required royal licenses. His fall from power is viewed as an example of the weakening of the crown in the mid-seventeenth century since it failed to protect their duly appointed bishop. The crown expelled the Jesuits from Spain and The Indies in 1767 during the Bourbon Reforms .
Where was the debate held in the Spanish colony of Valladolid?
Held in the Colegio de San Gregorio, in the Spanish city of Valladolid, it was a moral and theological debate about the colonization of the Americas, its justification for the conversion to Catholicism and more specifically about the relations between the European settlers and the natives of the New World.
When was Venezuela first visited?
Venezuela. Venezuela was first visited by Europeans during the 1490s, when Columbus was in control of the region, and the region as a source for indigenous slaves for Spaniards in Cuba and Hispaniola, since the Spanish destruction of the local indigenous population.
What was the result of the Treaty of Tordesillas between Spain and Portugal?
Once Columbus found land, still thinking it was Asia, Spain scrambled to claim as much land as possible. This resulted in the Pope issuing the Treaty of Tordesillas between Spain and Portugal, and the beginning of Spanish colonization. In 1494, the treaty gave Spain claim to all lands west of the 46th meridian. This line cuts straight through modern-day Brazil and leaves almost all of the western hemisphere in the hands of Spain. This also meant that Portugal, not Spain, was allowed to colonize Africa.
What was the first colony of the Americas?
Spanish Colonization of the Americas began with Christopher Columbus' first voyage in 1492, during which he landed on the island of Hispaniola. This island is controlled by Haiti and the Dominican Republic in the 21st century, but at the time, tribes such as the Arawak people inhabited the island. Upon making first contact, this tribe was incredibly generous, offering parrots, cotton, weapons, and glass beads to the strangers. However, Columbus saw this generosity as a sign of weakness, and told Ferdinand and Isabella when he got back to Spain that they were so naïve that he would be able to take as much gold and enslave as many of them as desired. The Arawak people and all other peoples that Columbus encountered suffered extreme tragedy, either at the hands of the ruthless crew, or from the many diseases that the Europeans brought with them.
How did European exploration begin?
European exploration began as a way to find a way around trading with the Ottoman Empire. Spain became involved in exploration after destroying Granada, when King Ferdinand of Castile and Queen Isabella of Aragon funded Christopher Columbus ' trip to East Asia. Claim to the New World was divided between Portugal and Spain by the Treaty of Tordesillas. Columbus and succeeding conquistadors, including Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, stole resources from the native people of the New World, and the diseases they brought with them made this conquest even easier. Highly developed civilizations were destroyed and the native people found themselves at the bottom of society. Spanish exploration led the way for the expansion of Western ideas and enabled Spain to grow in power for more than a hundred years.
Why did Columbus establish a third settlement on the other side of the island?
This settlement was also almost completely destroyed as a result of Spanish aggression towards the native people. This led to Columbus establishing a third settlement on the other side of the island.
How many voyages did Columbus have?
By the end of his four voyages, Columbus had explored:
Why did Columbus and the Spanish Crown hope that he had reached East Asia?
Columbus and the Spanish Crown hoped that he had reached East Asia, because that would have been immediately valuable as a way to circumvent the Ottoman Empire. However, once people in Spain recognized that an entirely new continent was being explored, it was not obvious that it would be valuable. Besides a hope to find gold and silver, their was no obvious benefit to putting so many resources into establishing colonies in the New World.
What was the first Spanish settlement in the Americas?
Of these, the first Spanish settlements in the Americas was La Navidad, a make-shift settlement that some of Columbus' crew had built when one of their ships ran aground and there was not enough space on the remaining ships to house all the crewmen. After returning a year later, Columbus found the settlement completely burnt down. The crew had murdered some of the native men and the tribe retaliated by eliminating the entire settlement.
Where did Spanish colonize?
Spanish colonization of the Americas began in the Caribbean, but the major focus of Spain's colonial interests quickly shifted to Mexico and South America (rich in silver and other rare materials) and most Spanish settlers and the African slaves that they imported went to the mainland.
Where did the Spanish settle in Florida?
In Florida, the principal Spanish settlements were located at St. Augustine, Apalachee Bay, and Pensacola Bay.
Why were Spanish settlers and Pueblo Indians fair game for well-mounted Indian raiders?
Spanish settlers and Pueblo Indians were fair game for well-mounted Indian raiders. The high cost of transporting Spanish goods over hundreds of miles kept the settlements impoverished. To make matters worse , when French traders finally found their way to the Rio Grande, Spanish authorities usually had them arrested.
How many Amerindians lived in Puerto Rico?
By the eighteenth century Amerindians had disappeared as distinct nations, and were recorded in few of the available censuses. Just over 2,000 were noted as living on Puerto Rico at the end of the eighteenth century.
When were Catholic missions established in Florida?
Some Catholic missions had been established in northern Florida in the seventeenth century. But in the early eighteenth century, they had closed. South Carolinians began to raid these missions and sold captured Indians as slaves.
Which Spanish colony occupied the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean?
The Spanish colony of Santo Domingo (later the Dominican Republic) occupied the eastern two-thirds of that island. These colonies had by far the largest white populations in the Caribbean, which were growing rapidly from natural increase.
What were the advantages of Florida?
One advantage Florida had was if it was attacked it could be reinforced with troops from Cuba. The Spanish also established forts and missions in south central Texas. As in Florida, mission Indians were subject to capture, in this case, by Great Plains Indians.
What was Kino's mission?
He brought improvements in agriculture to the native population including the introduction of wheat to the New World.
What was Spain's master plan for defense and control of the vast area they occupied?
Spain’s master plan for defense and control of the vast area they occupied was to establish a network of missions and presidios from Mexico City, across the Sonoran Desert and up the Pacific coast as far as Monterey. What was needed was an overland supply link to tie them altogether.
When is the Mexican fiesta?
A fiesta is held each year on the first full weekend in December at which crafts and food from O’odham, Yaqui, Apache and Mexican cultures are on display. When Father Kino established Tumacácori in 1691, the nearby Piman village at Tubac became a farm and ranch for the mission.
What did Father Kino do after his death?
Following Father Kino’s death a succession of Jesuit priests continued his work in the missions.
How many pages are in a print edition of Magcloud magazine?
Print Edition 32-page magazine to take along on your trip. Click below to order from Magcloud—$15 plus shipping.
What did the Spanish explorers mistakenly believe?
Early explorers had mistakenly believed that California was an island and the territory between the Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers was a blank on their maps.
Who replaced the Jesuits in 1767?
In 1767 the Jesuits were replaced by Franciscan missionaries, most notably Francisco Garces who arrived at San Xavier del Bac in 1768. Within six months he had explored most of southwestern Arizona. Under the Franciscans, the mission churches at Tumacacori and San Xavier were built. Tumacacori was never actually completed and was final abandoned in 1848. San Xavier is an active mission to this day serving the Tohono O’odham people.

Overview
Imperial expansion
The expansion of Spain’s territory took place under the Catholic Monarchs Isabella of Castile, Queen of Castile and her husband King Ferdinand, King of Aragon, whose marriage marked the beginning of Spanish power beyond the Iberian peninsula. They pursued a policy of joint rule of their kingdoms and created the initial stage of a single Spanish monarchy, completed under the eig…
Civil governance
The empire in the Indies was a newly established dependency of the kingdom of Castile alone, so crown power was not impeded by any existing cortes (i.e. parliament), administrative or ecclesiastical institution, or seigneurial group. The crown sought to establish and maintain control over its overseas possessions through a complex, hierarchical bureaucracy, which in many ways was decentr…
Catholic Church organization
During the early colonial period, the crown authorized friars of Catholic religious orders (Franciscans, Dominicans, and Augustinians) to function as priests during the conversion of indigenous populations. During the early Age of Discovery, the diocesan clergy in Spain was poorly educated and considered of a low moral standing, and the Catholic Monarchs were reluctant to allow them to spearhea…
Society
It has been estimated that over 1.86 million Spaniards emigrated to Latin America in the period between 1492 and 1824, with millions more continuing to immigrate following independence.
Native populations declined significantly during the period of Spanish expansion. In Hispaniola, the indigenous Taíno pre-contact population before t…
Economy
In areas of dense, stratified indigenous populations, especially Mesoamerica and the Andean region, Spanish conquerors awarded perpetual private grants of labor and tribute to particular indigenous settlements, in encomienda they were in a privileged position to accumulate private wealth. Spaniards had some knowledge of the existing indigenous practices of labor and tribute, so that lea…
19th century
During the Napoleonic Peninsular War in Europe between France and Spain, assemblies called juntas were established to rule in the name of Ferdinand VII of Spain. The Libertadores (Spanish and Portuguese for "Liberators") were the principal leaders of the Spanish American wars of independence. They were predominantly criollos (Americas-born people of European ancestry, mostly Spanish or Portuguese), bourgeois and influenced by liberalism and in some cases with mi…
In popular culture
In the twentieth century, there have been a number of films depicting the life of Christopher Columbus. One in 1949 stars Frederic March as Columbus. With the 1992 commemoration (and critique) of Columbus, more cinematic and television depictions of the era appeared, including a TV miniseries with Gabriel Byrne as Columbus. Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992) has Georges Corroface as Columbus with Marlon Brando as Tomás de Torquemada and Tom Selleck a…