1/29/13

[4th LizzK]

• Spanish Conquistadors:Cortes, Pizarro, and Coronado.         
  • Conquistadors
    • Spanish term for the word conqueror.
    • They were soldiers, explorers, and adventurers at the service of the Spanish Empire.
    • Were very holy people who would generally pray before going in to battle.
    • The most famous are Cortes and Pizarro, but we will also look at Coronado.
    • They were obsessed with matters of honor and reputation.
    • Spanish soldiers had a reputation for rowdiness, and duels were not uncommon. 
  • Cortes
    
    • Born to a family of lower nobility.
    • His father was an infantry Captain for the Spanish army.
    • He is a 2nd cousin once removed to Pizarro.
    • Conquered the Aztec Empire.
    • Aztec thought he was Quetzalcoatl.
    • He was a slime ball, getting with women who were married.
  • Pizarro
    • Spanish Conquistador.
    • Conquered the Incan civilization.
    • Only had 168 men and 27 horses and 1 cannon.
    • Got the defeated soldiers from the Incan civil war to fight for his side.
    • 2nd cousin once removed from Cortes.
  • Reasons why for conquering the Mesoamerican people.
    • Treasure
    • Polytheistic religions were not something they were a fan of. Spanish Inquisition... duh..
    • Human sacrifice was not received well with the rest of the world.
    • Exploring and wanted the land to set up Spanish colonies, very successful.
    • Slaves
    • Thought a lot of the Mesoamerican rituals and dances were like devil worship.
  • Issues with splitting the treasure.
    • The division of the treasures produced bloody conflicts, such as the one between Pizarro and Almagro.
    • After Peru fell to Spain, Francisco Pizarro told Almagro, before they became enemies, to go to the Inca Empire's northern city of Quito to claim it.
    • Their fellow conquistador Sebastian de Belalcazar, who had gone forth without Pizarro's approval, had already reached Quito.
    • The arrival of Pedro de Alvarado from Mexico in search of Inca gold further complicated the situation for Almagro and Belalcazar.
    • Alvarado left South America in exchange for monetary compensation from Pizarro.
    • Almagro was executed in 1538, under Pizarro's  orders.
    • In Lima in 1541, supporters of Diego Almagro II assassinated Francisco Pizarro.
    • Belalcazar in 1546 ordered the execution of Jorge Robledo, who governed a neighboring province in yet another land-related vendetta.
    • Belalcazar was tried, convicted, and condemned for killing Robledo and other offenses pertaining to his involvement in the wars between armies of conquistadors and was then killed.