The document summarizes the conquest of the Americas beginning with Columbus' arrival in 1492. It describes how Columbus and later conquistadors like Cortes brutally exploited the native populations for gold and converted them to Christianity. While the Spanish had technological advantages with horses, guns and disease, their small numbers required alliances with natives like La Malinche. Cortes conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in 1521 through deception and violence, destroying their empire. The Inca of Peru met a similar fate when Pizarro captured and executed their ruler Atahualpa in 1532. The conquest had devastating effects on native populations through death, loss of culture and religion but enriched the Spanish conquerors.

1. Conquest in the Americas
Chapter 15 Section 1
Mr. Divett

2. Columbus
• The cycle of conquest
started with the arrival
of Columbus
• He met the Taínos and
treated them harshly
• He made them pay
him gold or be killed

4. Conquistadors
• Columbus was first of many conquistadors,
or conquerors
• First settled on Hispaniola or modern-day
Haiti/Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Puerto
Rico
• They took riches and left Christianity

6. Horses, Guns, and Silent Killers
• Natives had never seen horses before
• The Spanish had guns
• Disease was
brought over
by the Spanish
and the
Natives had no
immunity

7. Cortés the Killer
• Hernán Cortés landed
in Mexico in 1519
• He had 600 men and
16 horses
• He was enticed by
money

8. Tenochtitlán
• Cortés made his way into Tenochtitlán, the
capital of the Aztecs, now Mexico City

9. The Aztecs
• Practiced human
sacrifice
• Played cool
games

10. La Malinche
• Malinche was Cortés’
girlfriend
• She was the mother
of the Mestizo race
• Traitor to some
• Hero to others
• Had alliances with
Spanish

11. Moctezuma
• Aztec Emperor
• Was kind to Cortés
• Thought Cortés might be the
return of Quetzacoatl

13. Destruction of Tenochtitlán
• The Spanish
captured
Moctezuma
• They stole their
riches
• The natives fought
back and drove them
out
• Many died including
Moctezuma

14. Destruction of Tenochtitlán
• Cortés came back and
captured and destroyed
Tenochtitlán
• They built Mexico City on
the ruins

15. Neil Young’s Interpretation
• Neil Young wrote a
song about it called
Cortez the Killer

16. Cortez the Killer
He came dancing across the water
With his galleons and guns
Looking for the new world
In that palace in the sun.
On the shore lay Montezuma
With his coca leaves and pearls
In his halls he often wondered
With the secrets of the worlds.
And his subjects
Gathered 'round him
Like the leaves around a tree
In their clothes of many colors
For the angry gods to see.
And the women all were beautiful
And the men stood
Straight and strong
They offered life in sacrifice
So that others could go on.
Hate was just a legend
And war was never known
The people worked together
And they lifted many stones.
They carried them
To the flatlands
And they died along the way
But they built up
With their bare hands
What we still can't do today.
And I know she's living there
And she loves me to this day
I still can't remember when
Or how I lost my way.
He came dancing across the water
Cortez, Cortez
What a killer.

17. Pizarro
• Francisco Pizarro was
inspired by Cortés
• Pizarro thought the
Inca might be even
more rich than the
Aztecs
• He arrived in Peru in
1532

18. Atahualpa
• Atahualpa ruled
the Inca after a
civil war
• He refused to
become Christian
and join the
Spanish

19. Capture
• The Spanish
captured him and
demanded ransom
• The Inca paid it

20. Death
• The Spanish
killed him
anyway
• They also killed
thousands of
Inca

21. Consequences of Conquest
• The conquistadors changed the world in good
ways and bad

22. Effects on Spanish
• Victory
• Riches

23. Effects on Natives
• Death
• Tragedy
• Loss of Religion
• Loss of Culture