The Spanish Conquest

The Spanish Conquest started in the late 1400s. Spanish explorers, called conquistadors, sailed to the Americas. They were looking for gold and new land. They fought and took over big empires like the Aztec and the Inca. This changed life for millions of Native people.

Meeting the Empires

A man named Hernan Cortes went to what is now Mexico. He fought the Aztec Empire and took it over in 1521. Another man, Francisco Pizarro, did the same thing to the Inca Empire in Peru. The Spanish had horses, metal armor, and guns. Native people had never seen these things before.

A Big Change

Spain built new towns and forts across the Americas. They brought the Spanish language and Catholic religion. Sadly, many Native people died from new sicknesses like smallpox. Spain shipped gold and silver back to Europe. This conquest changed two worlds forever.

Fun Facts

• Horses were unknown in the Americas before the Spanish arrived.
• Potatoes, tomatoes, and corn went to Europe from the Americas.
• The Spanish built the first universities in the Americas.

Did You Know?

Today, Spanish is the main language in most of Latin America because of this time in history.