Introduction
-During the 15th+16th centuries, Spain and Portugal colonized the Americas
• Colonies were dependent (unlike Russia’s expansion)
-Created economic dependency on W w/ lasing effects
• Colonies maintained special contact w/ W (like Russia)
-But Russia could decide what to borrow; colonies had W forms imposed
• Superior tech., horses, and disease allowed conquerors to dominate natives
• Social hierarchy changed by intermarriage of natives+Europeans and African slaves
• Both Europeans and natives tried to maintain original way of life
• European exploitation-plantations worked/precious metals mined through forced labor
Spaniards and Portuguese: From Reconquest to Conquest
-The Spaniards and …show more content…
colony of Santo Dominigo (Hispaniola)
-Expeditions from Santo DominigoPuerto Rico (1508), Cuba (1511),
-Settlements in Panama and N coast of S America by 1513
-Similar stuff in Brazil under the Portuguese
• Taino Indians provided enough labor to be distributed to individual Spaniards in grants
-Gold hunting, slaving, and European diseasesdepopulation of Caribbean
-Major ports in Caribbean, but it became colonial backwater until sugar and slaves allowed resurgence
• Caribbean served Spain as a testing ground for colonization
-Iberian-style cities had to be adapted to Americas; Spanish cities set-up according to a grid plan
-Royal administration-Bureaucracy and law code developed based on Spain’s+American exp.
-Church missionaries came and spread Roman Catholicism
-Merchants regulated provisions and commerce
• Immigration+importation of slavesshift from conquest to settlement
-Early gold-hunting attempts replaced by est. of plantations
-Settlementdepopulation of Indiansimportation of slaves for labor
-Destruction of Indians expeditions went further toward mainland from island to