Discovery and Colonization of America: Key Facts

Posted on Mar 18, 2025 in History

Complete the Text

Columbus’ project impressed Queen Isabel ‘The Catholic’, who decided to finance his voyage, against the opinion of her advisers.

The monarchs signed the Capitulation of Santa Fe, which was an agreement which established that 10% of the riches obtained on the voyage would belong to Columbus (the rest would belong to the crown). The agreement also made him viceroy of any lands he discovered.

Columbus set sail from the Port of Palos (Huelva) on the 3rd August 1492, bound for the Canary Isles. The expedition was made up of 3000 men and three ships: one nao and two caravels. From the Canary Isles, they set out across the Atlantic Ocean. They finally sighted land on the 12th of October 1492.

Correct Answers

A. Why did Castilians call the new continent ‘Las Indias’?

Because they thought they had reached India.

B. Where does the name ‘America’ come from?

The continent was named after Americo Vespuccio, the cartologist who realised that it was a new continent and not part of India.

C. To impose sovereignty over the discovered territories, the Catholic Monarchs asked the pope for a papal bull. Portugal did not agree with their claim. Finally, the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed. What did this treaty establish?

It divided the world into two zones of exploration and discovery; one for each country.

He concluded the conquest of Mexico: Hernán Cortés

They led the expedition that sailed all the way around the world: Ferdinand Magellan, Juan Sebastián Elcano

He conquered the Incan Empire: Francisco Pizarro


Institutions and Roles

  1. A representative of the King with instructions from the monarch: VICEROYALTIES
  2. A colonist in dispute with another colonist over the ownership of territories in Mexico: AUDIENCIAS
  3. An explorer who wanted to explore the Amazon: CASA DE CONTRATACION
  4. A monarch who wanted to send more manual labourers to his American territories: EL CONSEJO DE LAS INDIAS

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      1. It shows Spanish Conquistadors in Mexico supervising the indigenous workers.
      2. It shows the Spanish Conquistadors in Mexico helping the indigenous people with their work.
      3. It shows the indigenous people supervising the work of the Spanish Conquistadors.

Friar Bartolomé de las Casas

  1. He was the most well-known defender of the rights of the indigenous people against the abuse they suffered.
  2. He was a viceroy who exploited the indigenous people, treating them as slaves without rights.
  3. He was a famous explorer who helped conquer Mexico.

True or False

T

F

Columbus made three more voyages in which he explored the Antilles and the American east coast.

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The mix between Spanish and indigenous people produced miscegenation (a mixture of two races).

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Products like the potato, maize, the tomato, chocolate and tobacco come from the Americas.

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The laws of Burgos and the New Laws which the crown promoted established that indigenous people were not slaves; they had rights which had to be respected.

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Institutions and Functions

1. It gave permission for the exploitation and trade with America through the capitulations: CASA DE CONTRATACION

2. They acted as courts of justice and carried out government functions: AUDIENCIAS

3. They were run by the Viceroys, who were the representatives of the King and had absolute political power: VICEROYALTIES

4. They were made up of experts who advised the kings about their American territories: EL CONSEJO DE INDIAS