Summary: The Influence Of The Spanish In The New World

Picture a vast scope stretching from the Red River Basin to the Plains of Colorado to the Arkansas River to the Rio Grande. Envision the diverse groups of Natives that live on the land peacefully. Imagine the golden Pueblos of the Acoma Indians, the Hogan huts of the Navajo, and the wiki-ups of the Lipan. Then imagine this picturesque view shattered by European imperialism. The Europeans during the 16th and 17th centuries took several different approaches to the New World. The French saw potential business and trading partners, the English sought territory to expand their empire, and the Spanish were much more complex. The Spanish made one purposeful thrust into the New World in the 16th century to claim the industrious Natives as subjects of the Crown and Church. A century later, the Spanish returned to the New World. The Spanish unleashed forces of change that changed the lives of the native people throughout the arena that the Anglo-Americans call the Southwest. The Spanish affected the culture and structure of the Southwest by way of religion, architecture, and agriculture and livestock. This culture shock in the Southwest by means of conquistadors. This Spanish influence …show more content…
The story of the Spanish in the New World, begins with Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. Christopher Columbus opened the gateway to Spanish exploration even though he did not set foot on the American Continent. His drive to travel the undiscovered world, allowed for further exploration by the Spanish. In 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed, this set up a line of demarcation for the expanding empires Spain and Portugal. This deal set up centuries of exploration for the rivaling countries. The Spanish were “given” the western hemisphere to explore and conquer, and Portugal was “given” the eastern hemisphere to explore and