All about the ancient tribes
What was the most significant result of the Spanish colonization of Central and South America? Spain became rich by stealing the wealth of the American colonies. … Spain brought religion and high moral values to the American colonies. Spain was transformed by the cultural richness of the New World.
First colonies were trading posts in Newfoundland; others followed in wake of exploration of the St. Lawrence valley, parts of Canada, and the Mississippi River. Settlements include Quebec (1608) and Montreal (1642).
In 1493, during his second voyage, Columbus founded Isabela, the first permanent Spanish settlement in the New World, on Hispaniola.
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.
Other European countries quickly followed suit and began to explore and invade the New World. The Spanish conquistadors invaded areas of Central and South America looking for riches, ultimately destroying the powerful Aztec and Inca cultures.
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. The Pueblo Revolt was one example of a successful Native American effort to reclaim their religious practices, culture, and land.
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.
The Spanish language was brought across the Atlantic to the Americas by Spanish explorers and Conquistadors in the 16th and 17th centuries, and it spread rapidly throughout North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Spanish colonialism began with the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi’s expedition on February 13, 1565, from Mexico. After this, the colony was directly governed by Spain. Spanish rule ended in 1898 with Spain’s defeat in the Spanish–American War.
officials came from the peninsulares class, people who were born in Spain. Next were Creoles, colonists born in America of two Spanish parents.
Although the original intent of the encomienda was to reduce the abuses of forced labour (repartimiento) employed shortly after Europeans’ 15th-century discovery of the New World, in practice it became a form of enslavement.
A primary goal for these overseas expeditions was to convert people Europeans considered savage and barbaric. Catholic priests and friars travelled with the conquistadors on their voyages overseas. There were also important political and economic motivations driving these New World expeditions.
Spain shifted strategies after the military expeditions wove their way through the southern and western half of North America. Missions became the engine of colonization in North America. Missionaries, most of whom were members of the Franciscan religious order, provided Spain with an advance guard in North America.
The intrusion of Napoleonic forces into Spain in 1808 (see Peninsular War cut off effective connection with the empire. Spain lost her possessions on the mainland of America with the independence movements of the early 19th century, during the power vacuum of the Peninsula War.
Beginning with Columbus in 1492 and continuing for nearly 350 years, Spain conquered and settled most of South America, the Caribbean, and the American Southwest.