AMERICAS AND OCEANIA

HERNAN CORTES

• He was in search of gold on the American mainland
• He captured the Aztec Empire
• Created many native allies

POLITICAL STRUCTURE

• Spanish set up two centers of Authority (Mexico Peru)
• Each center was governed by a Viceroy
• Viceroys were like the kings.
• Viceroys determined all policies and jurisdictions
• Audiencias watched over the Viceroys to make sure they did not abuse power.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

• Migrants born in Europe were known as Peninsulares (highest on social ladder)
• Followed by creoles who were born in America that had Iberian parents.
• Mestizos lived in the poorest areas.
• Anyone with mixed parentage was even lower than the Mestizos.
• Bottom of the ladder were the slaves that were imported.

INTEREST IN BRAZIL

• Sugar plantations
• Slavery
• Nobles and entrepreneurs had sugar plantations
• Sugar was a very valuable and profitable resource
• Slaves were used on these sugar plantations.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOREIGNERS

• The french and english people did not encounter many natives
• When they did meet, they often clashed.
• Natives did not like english setters in their hunting ground
• Natives had frequent raids on farms and villages
• Native killed many foreigners but small pox killed off natives.

TREATY OF TORDESILLAS

• Signed in 1494
• Divided the world along an imaginary line.
• Spain could claim any free land west of that line
• Portugal could claim any free land east of that line