Conquest and Encounters in Colonial Latin America

Catalog description

How did Hernan Cortés and Francisco Pizarro defeat the Aztec and Inca Empires? Despite numeric inferiority, limited provisions, and little knowledge about the Americas, Cortés and Pizarro defeated advanced civilizations that had experienced warriors and millions of inhabitants. Possible explanations include the conquistador's valor, advanced weaponry, superior military strategy, Indian allies, and biological attacks. In their encounters with native peoples of the Americas, Europeans were not always conquerors. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and Lope de Aguirre failed both in their attempt to conquer a large Indian civilization and in their effort to find mineral wealth. A few Europeans such as Bartolomé de Las Casas spoke out against the abuses committed against the Indians during the conquest. Explores these issues from the perspective of both Europeans and native peoples and looks at the long-term impact for Latin America and its peoples.