Harper Lin
The conquistadors were Spanish and Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with, and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and Asia during the Age of Discovery. They were in search of gold, a commodity craved by all European monarchs, which was used to pay for armies, mercenaries, and gunpowder weapons. The quest for gold came at a price for the conquistadors and the local cultures. Many expeditions in search of gold were deadly failures, and the conquistadors left behind a trail of death, torture, and destruction. They also stole gold from the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma's trove, and from the city of Tenochtitlán.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Conquistadors, or Conquistadores, are Spanish and Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with, and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and Asia during the Age of Discovery. |
| Exploration | Conquistadors made significant explorations into the Amazon Jungle, Patagonia, the interior of North America, and the discovery and exploration of the Pacific Ocean. |
| Conquest | Conquistadors expanded Spanish rule to northern Central America and parts of what is now the southern and western United States. They also took over the Inca Empire and founded numerous cities, such as Cusco and Mexico City. |
| Motivation | The primary motivation for conquistador expeditions was the search for gold, which was highly valued by European monarchs for paying armies and expanding kingdoms. |
| Impact | The conquests by conquistadors founded the basis for modern Hispanic America and the Hispanosphere. Their quest for gold resulted in a trail of death, torture, and destruction, and the loss of cultural artifacts. |
| Notable Figures | Notable conquistadors include Hernán Cortés, who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire, and Francisco Pizarro, who subdued the Inca Empire. |
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What You'll Learn
The quest for gold
Gold has always been a rare and precious metal, but at the end of the 15th century, it was exceptionally scarce in Europe. All European monarchs craved gold as it could be used to pay for armies, mercenaries, and gunpowder weapons, and their kingdoms could be defended and expanded. It is therefore no surprise that when Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492, the quest for gold began in earnest.
The Spanish conquistadors were skilled explorers and conquerors, and they soon began the first phase of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Hernán Cortés, for example, led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of what is now mainland Mexico under Spanish rule. The conquistadors demanded gold, and the captive Emperor Montezuma told his people to bring it. Thousands of pounds of gold, silver, jewels, and priceless pieces of Aztec art were collected by the Spanish.
The staggering quantity of gold extracted by the conquistadors from the Americas allowed Spain to become the richest country in the world. This massive influx of gold caused hyperinflation in Spain and enriched the Spanish Crown beyond its wildest dreams.
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Destruction of artefacts
The arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492 intensified the European craving for gold, a precious metal used to pay for armies, mercenaries, and gunpowder weapons. The Spanish conquistadors' insatiable thirst for gold to enrich themselves and finance military expeditions led to the destruction of countless artefacts.
The conquistadors' relentless pursuit of gold caused a trail of death, torture, and destruction. Their greed resulted in the loss of artefacts that could have provided valuable insights into the religious, cultural, and artistic significance of indigenous societies. The melting down of gold artefacts led to the irreversible loss of cultural heritage.
In their quest for gold, the conquistadors targeted the Aztec Empire, ruled by Emperor Moctezuma II. Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador, led an expedition that resulted in the fall of the empire and the death of its ruler. The conquistadors collected thousands of pounds of gold, silver, jewels, and priceless pieces of Aztec art from the capital city of Tenochtitlán. The city was destroyed, and its treasures plundered, with Cortés himself being accused of stealing from his men and the Mexica.
The legend of El Dorado, a man covered in gold dust or a city paved with gold, further fuelled the conquistadors' greed. Despite the legend's exaggeration, they relentlessly searched for this mythical place, causing deadly expeditions and impacting both the indigenous cultures and the conquistadors themselves.
The destruction of artefacts by the conquistadors resulted in the loss of cultural knowledge and understanding. The melting down of gold artefacts, such as those thrown into Lake Guatavita as offerings to the gods, destroyed any potential historical or cultural insights they may have held. The reduction in the number of artefacts available today makes it challenging to fully comprehend the artistic, cultural, and religious significance attributed to these objects by their creators.
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Conquest of the Aztec Empire
The conquest of the Aztec Empire by Hernán Cortés and his band of conquistadors began in 1519 and ended in 1521 with the fall of Tenochtitlán, the Mexica capital. The conquest brought large portions of what is now mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile.
Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador who was born in Medellín, Spain, to a family of lesser nobility. He chose to pursue adventure and riches in the New World. He went to Hispaniola and later to Cuba, where he received an encomienda (the right to the labour of certain subjects). In 1519, he was elected captain of the third expedition to the mainland, which he partly funded. He sailed from Cuba to the North American mainland with 500 soldiers, 100 sailors, and 16 horses. Upon landing in March 1519, he learned that the local people resented the Aztecs, who had gained control of the region through wars of expansion.
Cortés formed alliances with the cultures conquered by the Aztecs and marched on Tenochtitlán. Although the Aztec Emperor Montezuma tried to bribe Cortés and his army to leave, the conquistador was soon allowed to enter the city unopposed. This may have been due to the Aztecs’ belief in the return of the white, bearded god Quetzalcóatl, or it may have been a trap. The conquistadors were welcomed into the city and, a week or so into their stay, they arrested Montezuma on a pretext and kept him in their heavily defended compound. Thus began the plunder of the great city. The Spaniards continually demanded gold, and Montezuma told his people to bring it. Many great treasures of gold, silver jewels, and featherwork were laid at the feet of the invaders.
During the siege, Cortés constructed brigantines in the lake and slowly destroyed blocks of the city to avoid fighting in an urban setting. The Mexicas fell back to Tlatelolco and even succeeded in ambushing the pursuing Spanish forces, inflicting heavy losses. However, they were ultimately the last portion of the island to resist the conquistadores. The siege of Tenochtitlan ended with Spanish victory and the destruction of the city. In the aftermath, Cortés proved as skilled at stealing from his own men as he had been from the Mexica. After setting aside the king's fifth and his own fifth, he made suspiciously large payments to his closest allies for weapons and services. When his soldiers finally received their share, they were furious to learn that they had earned less than two hundred pesos each. Cortés bought them off by sending them on further expeditions, which he promised would bring in more gold.
The conquest of the Aztec Empire had far-reaching consequences. It established Spanish rule in Mexico and Central America and expanded the boundaries of the Spanish Empire. The vast quantities of gold and other treasures extracted from the region enriched the Spanish Crown and allowed Spain to become the richest country in the world. However, the conquest also resulted in the destruction of indigenous cultures and artefacts, as the conquistadors melted down and plundered priceless works of art.
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Exploration of the Pacific Ocean
The exploration of the Pacific Ocean has a long and complex history, with various nations and explorers contributing to our understanding of this vast body of water over centuries. One of the earliest recorded explorations of the Pacific Ocean was by the Chinese explorer Zheng He between 1371 and 1433. Japanese fishing boats also inadvertently reached the Pacific Ocean, with some reaching as far as North America.
Direct European contact with the Pacific Ocean began in 1512 with Portuguese expeditions led by António de Abreu and Francisco Serrão, who explored the western edges of the ocean. This was soon followed by Spanish expeditions from the American coast, with Vasco Núñez de Balboa becoming the first European to sight the Pacific Ocean from the Americas in 1513. Balboa named it "Mar del Sur" or "South Sea" because it was located south of the coast of the Isthmus of Panama.
In 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan began a Castilian (Spanish) expedition, sailing the Pacific from east to west. This expedition concluded with the first circumnavigation of the globe, completed by Basque sailor Juan Sebastián Elcano after Magellan's death in the Philippines in 1521. Magellan named the ocean "Pacífico" or "Pacific," meaning "peaceful" due to the calm waters he encountered after sailing through stormy seas.
Subsequent European exploration of the Pacific Ocean was extensive, with Spanish expeditions in the 16th century discovering many islands, including Tuvalu, the Marquesas, the Cook Islands, the Solomon Islands, and the Admiralty Islands. Later, Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandes de Quiros discovered Vanuatu, and Spanish explorer Luis Váez de Torres discovered the Torres Strait.
In the 18th century, English explorer James Cook made significant contributions to the mapping of the Pacific, leaving little land untouched in the region. His accurate charts and maps paved the way for future exploration, including the voyage of the English naturalist Charles Darwin in 1831, who collected information that informed his later writings.
The 20th century saw further expeditions, including those of the American ship Carnegie, the Danish vessel Dana II, and the Swedish ship Albatross. Technological advancements, such as satellite remote sensing, have since enabled more efficient and comprehensive exploration of the Pacific Ocean and its physical and biological characteristics.
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The legend of El Dorado
The legend was first recorded by Spanish colonists in the Americas in the 16th century. They referred to the king as "El Dorado", and this name eventually came to be applied to the city itself. The origin of the story is thought to be rooted in the culture of the Muisca people, an indigenous group inhabiting a plateau in the Andean Mountains in modern-day Colombia. The Muisca were skilled goldsmiths and frequently used gold in their religious ceremonies and for trade with neighbouring tribes.
The dream of finding El Dorado encapsulates the Europeans' endless thirst for gold and their drive to exploit the newly discovered lands for monetary gain. While the city of gold may have been a myth, the quest for gold had very real consequences for the indigenous cultures of the Americas, as the conquistadors left a trail of death, torture, and destruction in their wake.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the conquistadors stole gold, jewels, and art from the Aztec Empire. They also stole gold from the Muisca (Chibcha) people.
The conquistadors melted down the gold they stole, which reduced the number of artefacts that could have been preserved. The gold was used to pay for armies, mercenaries, and gunpowder weapons, which allowed Spain to expand its colonial empire.
Some of the gold was lost during the conquistadors' retreat from Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, in 1520. However, the majority of the gold was taken back to Spain, where it caused hyperinflation.
