Spanish Colonization

Spanish Colonization

1. Economic Motivation

   • Spain's government motivated explorers to get money for Spain.
     • They urged their people to go and trade with other countries - Christopher Columbus traveling to India.
   • Because the government motivated others to explore to find money, they found the New World
     • King Ferindad and Queen Isabella told their people to go and explore and find riches. Christopher Columbus took this as an invitation to explore and look for money, therefore finding the New World.
   • This caused the expansion of the Spanish territory. The Natives were obviously affected by the change of routines.

2. Religion

   • For the Spanish, religion shaped their everyday life. They believed everything revolved around God and they believed in order to be a pure Christian, you had to spread religion.
   • The Spanish gained more power over other people as well as religions and greatly benefitted through the spread of Christianity.
   • Spanish believed that to be a good Christian you had to convert others to Christianity.
     • Reconquista and Inqusition encouraged the Spanish to motivate others to convert to Christiany, especially when Columbus and Vespucci found the New World

3. Racial Superiority

   • The Spanish believed they were superior over the Aztecs, Incas, Native Americans, and West Africans because they had white skin.
   • Racial Superiority caused the Spanish to treat others badly.
     • The West Africans were transported through a ship where they would have to survive in harsh conditions, and would then need to work on fields.
   • Racial Superiority created a hierarchy in the New World.
     • The Spanish were always on the top, Natives in the middle , and Blacks on the bottom. No one ever moved up or down from their social rank.
     • Spanish intermarried with people in the New World. This was also a part of the social hierarchy. Ex. Mestizos, Mullatos.