Word of Colombus's discovery caused trouble between Spain and Portugal, each of whom had been given Papal permission to colonize the region. The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, was an attempt to resolve this conflict. It split the mostly unknown New World into two spheres of influence; however, once it was fully charted, almost all of the land fell in the Spanish sphere. Early settlements by the Spanish were on the islands of the Caribbean. On his fourth and final voyage in 1502, Columbus encountered a large canoe off the coast ...

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Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Early settlement, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Effect on natives, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Slavery, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Spanish colonies, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Caribbean, Spanish colonization of the Americas - South America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Central America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - North America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Northern extent of Spanish influence, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Independence

Read more here: » Spanish colonization of the Americas: Encyclopedia II - Spanish colonization of the Americas - Early settlement

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Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Early settlement, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Effect on natives, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Slavery, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Spanish colonies, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Caribbean, Spanish colonization of the Americas - South America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Central America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - North America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Northern extent of Spanish influence, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Independence

Read more here: » Spanish colonization of the Americas: Encyclopedia II - Spanish colonization of the Americas - Early settlement

Areas in the Americas under Spanish control included most of South and Central America, Mexico, parts of the Caribbean and much of the United States. The initial years saw a struggle between the Conquistadores and the royal authority. The Conquistadores were often poor nobles that wanted to acquire the land and labourers (Encomiendas and Repartimientos) that they couldn't achieve in Europe. Rebellions were frequent (See Lope de Aguirre). The Spanish Crown resorted to several systems of government, including Adelantados, C ...

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Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Early settlement, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Effect on natives, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Slavery, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Spanish colonies, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Caribbean, Spanish colonization of the Americas - South America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Central America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - North America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Northern extent of Spanish influence, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Independence

Read more here: » Spanish colonization of the Americas: Encyclopedia II - Spanish colonization of the Americas - Spanish colonies

Conquistador (meaning "Conqueror" in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who achieved the Conquista (this Spanish term is generally accepted by historians), i.e. brought much of the Americas and Asia Pacific under Spanish colonial rule between the 15th and 17th centuries. The Genoese Columbus's discovery of the New World in 1492 afforded Spain a head start in Colonization of the Americas, i.e. North, South America, continental Central and the Caribbean regions; the whole a ...

Including:

Conquistador - Background Conquistador - History
Conquistador - New World Conquistador - The Spanish Conquest in Asia - Pacific
Conquistador - Debate on the Human Rights of Natives Conquistador - References in Media Conquistador - List of Famous Conquistadores and Explorers Conquistador - Additional Info

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History of the Caribbean - Spanish conquest. See also: Spanish colonization of the Americas During the first voyage of the explorer Christopher Columbus (mandated by the Spanish crown to conquer) contact was made with the Lucayans in the Bahamas and the Taíno in Cuba and the northern coast of Hispaniola, and a few of the native people were taken back to Spain. Small amounts of gold were found in their personal ornaments and other objects such as masks and belts. The Spanish, who came s ...

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History of the Caribbean, History of the Caribbean - The Caribbean before European contact, History of the Caribbean - The colonial era, History of the Caribbean - Spanish conquest, History of the Caribbean - Other European powers, History of the Caribbean - Independence, History of the Caribbean - American influence, History of the Caribbean - Sources and References, History of the Caribbean - Histories of individual Caribbean territories

Read more here: » History of the Caribbean: Encyclopedia II - History of the Caribbean - The colonial era

Dutch colonization of the Americas - Netherlands Antilles. Dutch colonization of Sint Maarten began in 1620 although the ownership of the island changed hands at least 16 times before 1816, when it was permanently split between France and the Netherlands. Several other islands were captured and fortified to prevent Spanish attacks in the ongoing Dutch war for independence from Spain and to exploit timber and salt resources: Curaçao in 1634 Saba in 1640 Sint Eustatius in 1635 Bonaire in ...

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Dutch colonization of the Americas, Dutch colonization of the Americas - North America, Dutch colonization of the Americas - Caribbean, Dutch colonization of the Americas - Netherlands Antilles, Dutch colonization of the Americas - Virgin Islands, Dutch colonization of the Americas - Tobago, Dutch colonization of the Americas - South America, Dutch colonization of the Americas - Suriname, Dutch colonization of the Americas - Guyana, Dutch colonization of the Americas - Brazil, Dutch colonization of the Americas - Chile

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The Kingdom of Great Britain acquired the French colony of New France and the Spanish colony of Florida in 1763. New France became the Canadas. In the north, the Hudson's Bay Company actively traded for fur with the Indians, and had competed with French fur traders. The company came to control the entire drainage basin of Hudson Bay called Rupert's Land. The small part of the Hudson Bay drainage which is south of the 49th parallel went to the United States in 1818. Thirteen of Great Britain's colonies rebelled, beginning in 1776, primarily over representa ...

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English colonization of the Americas, English colonization of the Americas - English North America, English colonization of the Americas - Scottish North America, English colonization of the Americas - British North America, English colonization of the Americas - British North American colonies, English colonization of the Americas - British Caribbean colonies, English colonization of the Americas - British Central and South American colonies

Read more here: » English colonization of the Americas: Encyclopedia II - English colonization of the Americas - British North America

In 1720, a small Spanish expedition from Santa Fe met and attempted to parley with French- allied Pawnee in what is now Nebraska. Negotiations were unsuccessful, and a battle ensued; the Spanish were badly defeated, with only 13 managing to return to New Mexico. Although this was a small engagement, it is significant in that it was the deepest penetration of the Spanish into the Great Plains, establishing the limit to Spanish expansion and influence there. In an effort to exclude Britain and Russia from the eastern Pacific, the Spanis ...

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Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Early settlement, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Effect on natives, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Slavery, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Spanish colonies, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Caribbean, Spanish colonization of the Americas - South America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Central America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - North America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Northern extent of Spanish influence, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Independence

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During the Peninsula War, several assemblies were established by the creole to rule the lands in the name of Ferdinand VII of Spain. This experience of self-government and the influence of Liberalism and the ideas of the French and American Revolutions brought the struggle for independence, led by the Libertadores. The colonies freed themselves, often with help from the British Empire, which aimed to trade without the Spanish monopoly. In 1898, the United States won the Spanish-American War and occupied Cuba and Puerto Rico, en ...

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Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Early settlement, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Effect on natives, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Slavery, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Spanish colonies, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Caribbean, Spanish colonization of the Americas - South America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Central America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - North America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Northern extent of Spanish influence, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Independence

Read more here: » Spanish colonization of the Americas: Encyclopedia II - Spanish colonization of the Americas - Independence

European diseases (smallpox, influenza, measles and typhus) to which the native populations had no resistance, and cruel systems of forced labor (such as the infamous haciendas and mining industry's mita), decimated the American population. These diseases usually preceeded the Spanish invaders, and the resulting population loss (between 30 and 90 percent in some cases) severely weakened the native civilizations' ability to fight back. After conquering an area, the colonists usually enslaved the native people, using them for forced lab ...

See also:

Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Early settlement, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Effect on natives, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Slavery, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Spanish colonies, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Caribbean, Spanish colonization of the Americas - South America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Central America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - North America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Northern extent of Spanish influence, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Independence

Read more here: » Spanish colonization of the Americas: Encyclopedia II - Spanish colonization of the Americas - Effect on natives

European diseases (smallpox, influenza, measles and typhus) to which the native populations had no resistance, and cruel systems of forced labor (such as the infamous haciendas and mining industry's mita), decimated the American population. These diseases usually preceded the Spanish invaders, and the resulting population loss (between 30 and 90 percent in some cases) severely weakened the native civilizations' ability to fight back. After conquering an area, the colonists usually enslaved the native people, using them for forced labo ...

See also:

Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Early settlement, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Effect on natives, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Slavery, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Spanish colonies, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Caribbean, Spanish colonization of the Americas - South America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Central America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - North America, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Northern extent of Spanish influence, Spanish colonization of the Americas - Independence

Read more here: » Spanish colonization of the Americas: Encyclopedia II - Spanish colonization of the Americas - Effect on natives