Title: 
Headings: Latin America and the Conquistadors The general term “conquistador” refers to Spanish and Portuguese adventurers/warriors who led the expeditions into the New World during the Age of Exploration.  These conquistadors invaded and conquered lands in the Americas and the Caribbean from the late fifteenth through the late seventeenth century. Conquistadors can also be understood as colonizers who were acting in the name of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires.  Overseas expeditions and voyages were typically sponsored by the monarchy or by members of the nobility.  Spreading Catholicism and converting indigenous peoples acted as a major impetus for colonization and imperial expansion.  The conquistadors are known today in part for their harsh behavior toward natives throughout the early phases of colonization.  As professional soldiers, these men utilized European technology, weaponry, and cavalry against unknowing indigenous populations. Old World versus New World Although scholars today refer to the periodfrom the fifteenth to the seventeenth century as the Age of Discovery, many of the lands that Europeans “discovered” were already inhabited by rich and vibrant indigenous civilizations for tens of thousands of years.  When Christopher Columbus first landed in America, the population of Central America was around 45 million people.  The cultures in the Americas were extremely diverse and distinct from one another.  Columbus and his fellow conquistadors mistakenly believed that they had reached the East Indies and, as a result, labeled any and all indigenous peoples “Indians.”  By grouping together such disparate groups of people, the Europeans perceived unity among the indigenous population that did not always exist. The major differences between the peoples of the Old World and the New World were the relative isolation of the New World from exposure to other peoples and cultures.  Unlike Europeans, who had been in contact with peoples from Africa, the Ottoman Empire, and Asia for centuries, natives from the New World were extremely susceptible to diseases brought over by conquistadors from the Old World.  Diseases, such as smallpox, ravaged New World populations, who had never come into contact with peoples affected with such diseases.  Europeans also had access to newer technologies, such as steel and iron, which provided them with the military advantage that allowed them to successfully dominate the peoples of the New World. Factors Leading to the Conquest of Latin America There were several motivations behind the expansion and conquest of South America.  Religion was a commonly used justification for colonization.  The Spanish victory and expulsion of the Muslim Moors from the Iberian Peninsula (referred to as the Reconquista), after hundreds of years of occupation, occurred at the same time as the beginning stages of the Age of Discovery.  Many Europeans regarded the liberation of their land as an extension of the medieval Crusades, during which time Catholic soldiers
Latin
 
America
 
and
 
the
 
Conquistadors

Content: By
 
grouping
 
together
 
such
 
disparate
 
groups
 
of
people,
 
the
 
Europeans
 
perceived
 
unity
 
among
 
the
 
indigenous
 
population
 
that
 
did
 
not
always
 
exist. The
 
major
 
differences
 
between
 
the
 
peoples
 
of
 
the
 
Old
 
World
 
and
 
the
 
New
 
World
were
 
the
 
relative
 
isolation
 
of
 
the
 
New
 
World
 
from
 
exposure
 
to
 
other
 
peoples
 
and
cultures. Unlike
 
Europeans,
 
who
 
had
 
been
 
in
 
contact
 
with
 
peoples
 
from
 
Africa,
 
the
Ottoman
 
Empire,
 
and
 
Asia
 
for
 
centuries,
 
natives
 
from
 
the
 
New
 
World
 
were
 
extremely
susceptible
 
to
 
diseases
 
brought
 
over
 
by
 
conquistadors
 
from
 
the
 
Old
 
World. Diseases,
such
 
as
 
smallpox,
 
ravaged
 
New
 
World
 
populations,
 
who
 
had
 
never
 
come
 
into
 
contact
with
 
peoples
 
affected
 
with
 
such
 
diseases. Europeans
 
also
 
had
access
 
to
 
newer
technologies,
 
such
 
as
 
steel
 
and
 
iron,
 
which
 
provided
 
them
 
with
 
the
 
military
 
advantage
that
 
allowed
 
them
 
to
 
successfully
 
dominate
 
the
 
peoples
 
of
 
the
 
New
 
World. Factors
 
Leading
 
to
 
the
 
Conquest
 
of
 
Latin
 
America
There
 
were
 
several
 
motivations
 
behind
 
the
 
expansion
 
and
 
conquest
 
of
 
South
America. Religion
 
was
 
a
 
commonly
 
used
 
justification
 
for
 
colonization. The
 
Spanish
victory
 
and
 
expulsion
 
of
 
the
 
Muslim
 
Moors
 
from
 
the
 
Iberian
 
Peninsula
 
(referred
 
to
 
as
 
the
Reconquista),
 
after
 
hundreds
 
of
 
years
 
of
 
occupation,
 
occurred
 
at
 
the
 
same
 
time
 
as
 
the
beginning
 
stages
 
of
 
the
 
Age
 
of
 
Discovery. Many
 
Europeans
 
regarded
 
the
 
liberation
 
of
their
 
land
 
as
 
an
 
extension
 
of
 
the
 
medieval
 
Crusades,
 
during
 
which
 
time
 
Catholic
 
soldiers
Saylor
 
URL: www.saylor.org/courses/hist201/#3.1.3
The
 
Saylor
 
Foundation
Saylor.org
Page
1
 
of
 
2
had
 
fought
 
to
 
redeem
 
the
 
Holy
 
Land
 
for
 
Christianity.