Conquistadors
- Spanish term for the word conqueror
- soldiers, explorers, and adventurers at the service of the Spanish Empire
- very holy people, prayed before going to battle
- famous-Cortes Pizarro, Coronado
- 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 Capitan for Spanish army
- 2nd cousin once removed with Pizarro
- Conquered the Aztec Empire
- Aztecs thought he was Quetzalcoatl
- PIzarro
- Spanish Conquistador
- Conquered the Incan civilization with only 168 men, 27 horses, and 1 cannon
- got the defeated soldiers from the Incan civil war to fight for his side
- related to Cortes
Reasons why for conquering the Mesoamerican people
- treasure
- polytheistic- not a fan
- human sacrifice was not a well received practice
- exploring and wanting land
- slaves
- thought ritual and dances were "devil like"
Issues with splitting the treasure
- division of treasures produced bloody conflicts
- after Peru fell to Spain, Francisco Pizarro told Almagro, before they became enemies, to go to the Incan Empire's northern city of Quito to claim it
- their fellow conquistador Belalcazar, who had gone without Pizarro's approval, had already reached it
- 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 on 1538 under Pizarro's orders
- In Lima in 1541supporters of Diego Almagro II assassinated Francisco Pizarro.
- Belalcazar in 1546 ordered the execution of Jorge Robledo, who governed a neighboring province
- Belalcazar was tried, convicted, and condemned for killing Robledo and other offenses pertaining to his involvement int he wars between armies of conquistadors and was killed
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