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: 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
The
 
general
 
term
 
“conquistador”
 
refers
 
to
 
Spanish
 
and
 
Portuguese
adventurers/warriors
 
who
 
led
 
the
 
expeditions
 
into
 
the
 
New
 
World
 
during
 
the
 
Age
 
of
Exploration.