Key Historical Events in Spanish Colonization of the Americas

Posted on Feb 27, 2025 in History

In 1492, the Spanish kings signed the contract with Columbus of Santa Fe, which established that the seaman would receive a lifetime and hereditary title of Admiral of the Ocean Sea.

The first negotiation involved the participation of Pope Alexander VI who, by the Bulls of Demarcation (1493), granted the new continent to the Spanish crown.

Treaty of Tordesillas

The Treaty of Tordesillas established that an imaginary line from pole to pole divided the land into two: east for Portugal and west for Spain.

Laws of Burgos

The Laws of Burgos, enacted in 1512, were the first laws passed in America. They decreed that the Indigenous people were free, but they could be forced to work whenever the conditions were tolerable, which led to abuse.

New Laws

The New Laws of 1542 were promoted by Fray Bartolomé de las Casas. They established the abolition of the encomienda and prohibited the enslavement of Indigenous people, except for those who continued to rebel against Spanish domination.