In this Grade 7 lesson from California myWorld Interactive, students examine how Spanish conquistadors Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro defeated the Aztec and Incan empires through military alliances, political manipulation, and the devastating spread of smallpox. Students learn key vocabulary including conquistador, colonization, bullion, and immunity, and analyze the causes and effects of Spanish conquest on Mesoamerican and Andean peoples. The lesson is part of Chapter 9: Global Convergence and uses primary sources, timelines, and visual analysis to build sequencing and historical thinking skills.
Section 1
Conquistadors Exploit Divisions to Conquer
Spanish conquistadors were vastly outnumbered, so they used clever strategies to conquer the Aztec and Incan empires. Leaders like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro did not fight alone.
They formed alliances with native groups who were rivals of the ruling empires, gaining thousands of warriors. The Spanish also exploited internal divisions, such as an ongoing civil war in the Incan empire, to weaken their enemies.
Section 2
Disease and Division Aid Conquest
The Spanish had powerful, unseen advantages. They unknowingly carried diseases like smallpox, which were new to the Americas. Native peoples had no immunity, so the illness spread quickly and killed millions. This devastation weakened the Aztec and Incan societies before major battles even began.
At the same time, the Incan empire was torn apart by a brutal civil war between two brothers fighting for control. This internal conflict left the Incas divided and vulnerable, allowing a small group of conquistadors to topple a vast empire.
Section 3
Spain Extracts American Riches
After conquering the Aztec and Incan empires, Spain began to extract vast amounts of wealth from the Americas. Conquistadors seized gold and silver treasures, which were melted down into bars of bullion and shipped across the Atlantic.
This flood of precious metals made the Spanish kingdom incredibly rich and powerful. Spain also controlled the trade of other valuable resources. These included goods like cochineal, a prized red dye, which brought even more wealth to Spain and influenced the European economy.
Section 4
Conquest Devastates Native Peoples
The Spanish conquest brought immense suffering to the native peoples of the Americas. Warfare killed many, but European diseases caused the greatest loss of life. Millions of people died because they had no immunity to illnesses like smallpox, leading to a massive population collapse.
The conquistadors also aimed to erase indigenous cultures. They destroyed temples and religious artifacts to replace native beliefs with Christianity. To control information and history, they burned Aztec books and destroyed Incan quipus, which were knotted cords used for record-keeping.
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Section 1
Conquistadors Exploit Divisions to Conquer
Spanish conquistadors were vastly outnumbered, so they used clever strategies to conquer the Aztec and Incan empires. Leaders like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro did not fight alone.
They formed alliances with native groups who were rivals of the ruling empires, gaining thousands of warriors. The Spanish also exploited internal divisions, such as an ongoing civil war in the Incan empire, to weaken their enemies.
Section 2
Disease and Division Aid Conquest
The Spanish had powerful, unseen advantages. They unknowingly carried diseases like smallpox, which were new to the Americas. Native peoples had no immunity, so the illness spread quickly and killed millions. This devastation weakened the Aztec and Incan societies before major battles even began.
At the same time, the Incan empire was torn apart by a brutal civil war between two brothers fighting for control. This internal conflict left the Incas divided and vulnerable, allowing a small group of conquistadors to topple a vast empire.
Section 3
Spain Extracts American Riches
After conquering the Aztec and Incan empires, Spain began to extract vast amounts of wealth from the Americas. Conquistadors seized gold and silver treasures, which were melted down into bars of bullion and shipped across the Atlantic.
This flood of precious metals made the Spanish kingdom incredibly rich and powerful. Spain also controlled the trade of other valuable resources. These included goods like cochineal, a prized red dye, which brought even more wealth to Spain and influenced the European economy.
Section 4
Conquest Devastates Native Peoples
The Spanish conquest brought immense suffering to the native peoples of the Americas. Warfare killed many, but European diseases caused the greatest loss of life. Millions of people died because they had no immunity to illnesses like smallpox, leading to a massive population collapse.
The conquistadors also aimed to erase indigenous cultures. They destroyed temples and religious artifacts to replace native beliefs with Christianity. To control information and history, they burned Aztec books and destroyed Incan quipus, which were knotted cords used for record-keeping.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter