
Mexico, California, and the Philippines are just a few examples, as Spain colonized most of the Americas prolifically, and parts of Africa and Europe. By visiting Central and South America, it is easy to see how strong Spain’s cultural influence has been.
Full Answer
What were some of Spain’s most prominent colonies?
Jamaica, the Philippines, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago are former colonies where Spanish is not an official language. What were some of Spain’s most prominent colonies, and how did it lose them? Here is a quick look. Mexico is now a thriving country in North America with its own culture, cuisine, music, and flare.
What countries did Spain colonize in the Americas?
Spanish colonization of the Americas. The overseas expansion under the Crown of Castile was initiated under the royal authority and first accomplished by the Spanish conquistadors. The Americas were incorporated into the Spanish Empire, with the exception of Brazil, Canada, and several other small countries in South America and The Caribbean.
How did the Spanish colonies contribute to the American Revolution?
The colonies provided gold and silver during the 16th and 17th centuries that financed the colonial wars in North Africa and Europe. At the start of the 19th century, the Spanish American Wars of Independence resulted in the loss of Spanish colonies.
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 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 were the three kinds of settlements in New Spain?
The laws provided for three kinds of settlements in New Spain: pueblos, presidios (prih SID ee ohz), and missions. Some large communities included all three.
Where did the Spanish mainly settle?
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 is a type of Spanish settlement in the Americas?
Cuba and Puerto Rico were exclusively Spanish possessions, but Spain shared Hispaniola with France. The Spanish colony of Santo Domingo (later the Dominican Republic) occupied the eastern two-thirds of that island.
What were the three colonial regions?
The geography and climate of the thirteen colonies separated them into three different regions: New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies.
How many colonies did Spain have?
Spain once had up to 35 colonies throughout the world, some of which it still governs today.
Why did Spanish colonists settle in America?
Motivations for colonization: Spain's colonization goals were to extract gold and silver from the Americas, to stimulate the Spanish economy and make Spain a more powerful country. Spain also aimed to convert Native Americans to Christianity.
Where did the Spanish settle in Mexico?
Yucatan PeninsulaThe first Spanish settlement was established in February 1519 by Hernán Cortés in the Yucatan Peninsula, accompanied by about 11 ships, 500 men, 13 horses and a small number of cannons.
What were the main Spanish settlements in North America by 1769?
In response to Russian exploration from Alaska, the Spanish established permanent settlements at San Diego in 1769 and San Francisco in 1776.
What were 3 chief features of the Spanish empire in America?
What were 3 chief features of the Spanish empire in America? Permanent settlements, Christianization of Indians, and forced labor upon Indians.
What countries did Spain colonize in South America?
Colony.ieCountries Encompassed in South America. ... Colonization of South America began in the year 1494 after Christopher Columbus had made his discovery of the Continent. ... Colonized countries by the Spanish were the West Indies, Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Rio de la Plata and Paraguay, and New Grenada.
What were the 3 types of Spanish settlement and what was the purpose of each?
missions – religious communities. presidios – military bases. towns – small villages with farmers and merchants. ranchos – or ranches.
What was the purpose of the Spanish borderlands?
This book is to tell of Spanish pathfinders and pioneers in the regions between Florida and California, now belonging to the United States, over which Spain held sway for centuries.
How did Spain establish territorial claims in North America?
Answer: Spain sponsored the voyages of Christopher Columbus, an explorer who claimed territories in the Caribbean and South America for Spain. Spain later sent conquistadors like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro to discover and claim lands for Spain in the Americas.
Which two countries were the main hubs of Spanish settlers?
The capitals of Mexico and Peru, Mexico City and Lima came to have large concentrations of Spanish settlers and became the hubs of royal and ecclesiastical administration, large commercial enterprises and skilled artisans, and centers of culture.
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 ...
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.
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 countries were once Spanish colonies?
Mexico along with Central American and South American countries were all once Spanish colonies, and they gained their independence at different points in history. Like other superpower nations in history, Spain once traveled the oceans looking for countries to occupy and control in the name of wealth, prosperity, and world domination.
How many colonies did Spain have?
Spain once had up to 35 colonies throughout the world, some of which it still governs today. The areas that are now the US states of California, Florida, and New Mexico where once governed by Spain, and still hold evidence of this today through place names and local architecture.
What was Spain's role in the colonization of Europe?
During the 15th and 16th centuries, Spain led Europe as a global explorer and a colonial force expanding its power worldwide, beginning with Christopher Columbus' voyage to the Americas in 1492. From this time up until the early 19th century, this nation held colonies in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa.
What are some examples of Spain's influence on the world?
The effects of Spain’s influence can be seen throughout the world today in architecture, culture, and the people that live in its former colonies. Mexico, California, and the Philippines are just a few examples, as Spain colonized most of the Americas prolifically, and parts of Africa and Europe. By visiting Central and South America, it is easy ...
Where does Spain still have its colonies?
To this day, Spain still holds territories abroad in places like Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa, but many of its previous colonies have been lost in the wars of history. 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 countries spread their dominance and culture throughout the world traveling by sea during the period of modern western colonization?
History is full of the chase for power and riches. Spain, alongside Portugal, France, the Dutch Republic, and England spread their dominance and culture throughout the world traveling by sea during the period of modern western colonization. The effects of Spain’s influence can be seen throughout the world today in architecture, culture, ...
Which country colonized the Philippines in the late 1500s?
The Philippines. Spain colonized the Philippines in the late 1500s. Located in Southeast Asia as an island archipelago, the nation was seen as a good stopping spot on route to the riches of East Asia, and a boon to Spain ’s role in the spice trade.
Spanish Colonies
Identify the main Spanish American colonial settlements of the 1500s and 1600s, and the motives for establishing them
St. Augustine, Florida
Figure 3. In this drawing by French artist Jacques le Moyne de Morgues, Timucua flee the Spanish settlers, who arrive by ship. Le Moyne lived at Fort Caroline, the French outpost, before the Spanish destroyed the colony in 1562.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Further west, the Spanish in Mexico, intent on expanding their empire, looked north to the land of the Pueblo Indians. Under orders from King Philip II, Juan de Oñate explored the American southwest for Spain in the late 1590s.
What was the Spanish colonial era in Texas?
The Spanish Colonial era in Texas began with a system of missions and presidios, designed to spread Christianity and to establish control over the region. The missions were managed by friars from the order of St.
What did European explorers and settlers bring to the Americas?
Throughout the Americas, European explorers and settlers brought disease and disruption to native peoples. In early settlements across the state, the Spanish engaged in a power struggle with local groups, with neither side ever declaring full victory over the other.
What was the name of the Spanish outpost in Texas?
Remains of an early outpost called La Bahía, which also included a presidio and missions, can be seen at today’s Goliad. And a settlement called Los Adaes served as the capital of Spanish Texas – in an area that is now a state park in Louisiana.
What happened to the capital of Texas?
When the French turned over Louisiana to Spain at the end of the French and Indian War, the capital of Texas was transferred to San Antonio. Some of the residents of Los Adaes eventually established Nacogdoches at the site of an abandoned Caddo settlement. Aside from these successful communities, the Spanish experimented with establishing mission fields for various Indian groups, including Apaches, but never with long-term success.
What was the role of the Spanish presidios?
As towns began to grow around the presidios and the missions, the presidios’ role evolved into protecting not only roads, but also the developing Spanish missions and settlements.
Where were the first Spanish missions?
The first Spanish missions were established in the 1680s near present-day San Angelo, El Paso and Presidio – areas that were closely tied to settlements in what is today New Mexico . In 1690, Spanish missions spread to East Texas after news surfaced of La Salle’s French settlements in the area. The Spanish settlers there encountered the Caddo Indians, who they called “Tejas” (derived from the Caddoan word “Tay-yas”, meaning friend).
Why did Spain establish mission fields in Texas?
Following the Louisiana Purchase, Spain began to reinforce Texas in order to protect its Mexican colony from its new neighbor, the United States.
Which group destroyed the empires and then Europeans built new settlements?
Conquistadors destroyed the empires, and then Europeans built new settlements
Where could the colonists export raw materials?
Colonists could export raw materials only to Spain

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…