Spanish Americans In The 15th Century

Long before the expeditions to the “New World” in the 15th century, the Spanish had made claim to an abundance of land in the Iberian Peninsula once ruled by the Moors. Driven by the Spanish inquisition, Spaniards felt justified conquering land while in return Christianizing the people. Although motivated by religion, Spanish also wanted to achieve success and have superiority. The Spanish believed that in return for giving individuals religious purity, they should receive payment and service. After conquering the Moors in the Iberian Peninsula, expeditions to new western lands began in hopes to enrich the Spanish kingdom both economically and spiritually. The reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula played an important role in shaping the Spanish …show more content…
The Moors were well established individuals who had higher quality medicine, education and agriculture. The Moors also had thousands of African slaves that the Spanish became familiarized with during their conquest. All of the advances made by the Moors were abruptly stopped when the Spanish came in taking land and spreading Christianity. As the reconquest continued, “the reconquering Christians founded new urban centers as bastions of their advancing territorial claims, and individual warlords took responsibility for Christianizing groups of defeated Moors, receiving tribute and service for them in return” (Chasteen 18). Chasteen’s quote shows that although the men were using religion to defend their brutality of the Moors, their motives were beyond the intentions of the church. Spaniards were fighting for land and profit. The Spanish used Christian superiority over the Moors to create rules of war that allowed them to capture and enslave those who rejected Christianity. For triumphant Spaniards that meant earning land, service, and a share the conquered enemies’ wealth. Taking over the Iberian Peninsula was just the beginning for the Spanish as they soon headed out to discover the …show more content…
Although the voyages set out for Asia, the Spanish sailed to various Caribbean Islands and eventually hit Mexico, and South America too. Each new discovery of land, also came with the discovery of new people. One traveler described what he saw on the Brazilian shores, “They go around naked, without any covering at all. They worry no more about showing their private parts than their faces” (Chasteen 22). Coming from a land of hierarchy the Spanish believed that unclothed people must be poor and uncivilized, therefore they had every right to take their land. After the Spanish conquered the empires they had to lay the ground work in colonizing the land and people of the Americas. They did so through encomienda’s. This gave conquistadores power, because they had the ability to live off the labor of others, in return for teaching them Christianity. The indigenous people of the new world were susceptible to European diseases that they had been secluded from until the conquerors arrival. Diseases wiped out significant parts of the native’s population. Spanish then began importing African slaves to the new world, because they had knowledge of European culture, had exposure to European diseases, and had skills the indigenous people of the new world lacked. The Spanish once again used religious justification for the enslavement of Africans in the new world, “In