Spain in The Americas:
European Explorers and Conquerors
Define the following terms:
Conquistadors-
Immunity-
Cortez The Killer by Neil Young
He came dancing across the water
With his galleons and guns
Looking for the new world
In that palace in the sun.
Hate was just a legend
And war was never known
The people worked together
And they lifted many stones.
On the shore lay Montezuma
With his coca leaves and pearls
In his halls he often wondered
With the secrets of the worlds.
They carried them
to the flat lands
And they died along the way
But they built up
with their bare hands
What we still can't do today.
And his subjects
gathered 'round him
Like the leaves around a tree
In their clothes of many colors
For the angry gods to see.
And the women all were beautiful
And the men stood
straight and strong
They offered life in sacrifice
So that others could go on.
And I know she's living there
And she loves me to this day
I still can't remember when
Or how I lost my way.
He came dancing across the water
Cortez, Cortez
What a killer.
Neil Young
Cortes Encounters The Aztecs
Take notes listing the false myths surrounding his
conquest of the Aztecs.
Aztec Gold
• Cortes and his men took over 100 tons of gold
from Montezuma and the Aztecs.
• Gold is currently trade for $1,264 an ounce.
• How much would this treasure be worth in
today's dollars?
Conquistadors
• Cortés's and Pizarro's armies despite being vastly
outnumbered were able to defeat the Aztec and
Inca.
• Why did the Spanish conquistadors win?
Conquistadors
• In your judgment, which reason for the defeat
of the Aztec & Inca do you think was the most
important?
Map Study: Spanish Explorers 1513-1542
• Answer the following questions:
• Which conquistador explored areas along the
southern half of the Mississippi River?
• What were they looking for?
• Why did they expect to find it?
• Why do you think the Spanish made their first
landing on the North American mainland in Florida?
Conquistadors: Good and Bad
• The conquistadors are often described as
possessing both good and bad qualities.
• Write a paragraph expressing what you think
were the qualities, both good and bad, of the
Spanish conquistadors.