Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs and Incas — Impact
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Flip to reveal answersWho conquered the Aztec Empire, and when did its capital fall?
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All 12 Flashcards — Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs and Incas — Impact
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Question
Who conquered the Aztec Empire, and when did its capital fall?
Answer
Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs; the capital Tenochtitlan fell in 1521.
Question
Who conquered the Inca Empire, and when?
Answer
Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incas between 1532 and 1533, taking the capital Cuzco.
Question
What was the deadliest impact of the conquest?
Answer
Disease, especially smallpox. Indigenous people had no resistance, so epidemics caused a huge population collapse.
Question
Define: encomienda
Answer
A grant giving a Spanish settler the right to demand labour and tribute from a group of Indigenous people.
Question
Define: tribute (in this context)
Answer
Goods or money that conquered people were forced to hand over to their rulers.
Question
Why did Potosí matter after 1545?
Answer
Its silver made Spain wealthy, but the mines relied on brutal forced Indigenous labour that caused great suffering.
Question
What did the New Laws of 1542 try to do?
Answer
Limit the encomienda and protect Indigenous people, showing Spain knew the system was abusive.
Question
How did the conquest change government in the region?
Answer
Spain replaced the Aztec and Inca empires with colonial rule under viceroys, using Spanish law, language and taxes.
Question
How did the conquest change religion?
Answer
Catholic missionaries converted people to Christianity, often building churches on old temple sites, though older beliefs sometimes survived.
Question
Compare: impact on Spain vs impact on Indigenous people
Answer
Spain gained land, silver and empire; Indigenous people suffered disease, forced labour, loss of their empires and religious change.
Question
In a 4-mark source question, what is the core skill?
Answer
Link each origin, purpose or content point to a value OR a limitation of the source, rather than just describing it.
Question
Why is 'the Spanish were cruel' a weak Paper 1 point?
Answer
It lumps everything together. Strong answers separate disease, conquest, forced labour, silver and religion and weigh which mattered most.
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Topic 2.2 hub
Conquest of Mexico and Peru (1519–1551)
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