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Fall of the Aztec & Incan Empires
Cortes & Montezuma, Pizarro & Atahualpa
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Spain Vs. Portugal
Christopher Columbus asks bothcountries to sponsor his voyage--Spainagrees.
Portugal saw the wealth that Spain wasgaining, and wanted to be part of theaction.
Countries became rivals and tried tostop each other from claiming land inthe Americas.
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Spain Vs. Portugal
1494--Spain and Portugal signed theTreaty of Tordesillas
set the Line of Demarcation (line from theNorth to the South Pole at 50 degreeslongitude)
Spain got everything to the west, Portugal
got everything to the east. What language is spoken in most of Latin
America today?
What language is spoken in Brazil?
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Spanish Conquistadors
Conquistador- soldier-explorers who settledin the Americas looking for treasure
Inspired by Columbus to seek fortune in the
New World Many came from the part of Spain called
Extremadura. poor soil, icy winters, & blistering hot summers
held little chance for wealth
Hernan Cortes was born in this province
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Hernan Cortes
Cortes is a Spanish conquistador whoreached Mexico in 1519 in search oftreasure
Arrived in Mexico with 550 soldiers, 16horses, 14 canons, & a few dogs
Group was met by Aztec emperor,Montezuma II
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Cortes invades Mexico
How could such a small force conquer ahuge empire?
1. Cortes used Spanish horses and guns to
shock Aztecs.2. A Mayan woman gave Cortes the inside
scoop on the Aztec empire & helped himform alliances against Montezuma.
3. Cortes had invisible help--diseases killedmore Aztecs than Spains weapons.
4. Montezuma believed Cortes to beQuetzalcoatl--an important Aztec god.
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Cortes Defeats the Aztec
Cortes traveled 400 miles to reachTenochitlan.
Montezuma did not attack right away--he thought Cortes was Quetzalcoatl.
The Spanish were able to take controlof the city & took Montezuma hostage.
Cortes ordered the Aztec to stopsacrificing people.
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Cortes Defeats Aztec
Cortes orders angered Aztec; planned arebellion.
Fighting broke out & Montezuma was killed.
The Spanish were outnumbered, so they fledthe city.
Before they could prepare a 2ndattack,smallpox broke out in Tenochitlan & greatly
weakened the large Aztec empire. 1521--Spanish destroyed the Aztec capital.
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After Conquering the Aztec
Cortes took part in one moreexpedition to Honduras.
Served as Governor General of NewSpain.
Returned to Spain a very wealthy man
Died in Seville, Spain in 1547
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Francisco Pizarro
Pizarro was also from the Extremadura. He was not of noble birth; could not even
write his name.
At age 16, Pizarro fled a job herding pigs in
Italy. 1502--arrived in America and became
very wealthy by exploring Panama. heard a rumor that there was a great empire
filled with gold in the mountains of SouthAmerica
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The Inca
1530s--Inca thought they ruled most ofthe world; two threats from the northproved they did not.
1.They couldnt stop the spread ofsmallpox.
2. They couldnt scare away Pizarro.
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Pizarro Conquers the Inca
Pizarro led 160 soldiers to the Incanhomeland. raided Incan stores, houses & fired guns
at villagers Incan emperor, Atahualpa, thought
Pizarro was crazy--how could he standup to an army of 80,000 Incan
warriors? 1532--Pizarro came up with a plan to
defeat the Inca.
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Pizarro Defeats the Inca
Spanish messengers invited Atahualpa to ameeting.
Atahualpa agreed & left most of his army
behind--brought only 5,000 bodyguards. Pizarros 160 soldiers attacked the Inca &
kidnapped Atahualpa.
Pizarro offered to free him if he received
gold & silver.Atahualpa kept his end of the bargain.
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Atahualpa and Pizzaro
Atahualpa kept his end of the deal, yetPizarro demanded more gold.
A ruled the empire for 8 months from prison
A thought that if they paid the Spaniards asmuch gold as they could find, they wouldleave the empire alone
They were wrong!
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The last straw
Pizarro agreed to let Atahualpa go if heconverted to Christianity.
Although Atahualpa converts, Pizarrokilled him anyway.
This highly angered the Incans and warwas officially declared.
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After Conquering the Inca
Spanish king made Pizarro thegovernor of Peru.
Pizarros conquest opened South
America to Spanish rule. Spain controlled a vast territory
covering 375,000 miles with almostseven million inhabitants.
After six years of terror, Pizzaro wasFINALLY assassinated!
