Conquest of Mexico and Peru (1519–1551)
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Who conquered the Aztec Empire, and by when?
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All Flashcards in Topic 2.2
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2.2.111 cards
Who conquered the Aztec Empire, and by when?
Hernán Cortés, who overthrew the Aztecs of Mexico by 1521 after first reaching Tenochtitlán in 1519.
Who conquered the Inca Empire, and by when?
Francisco Pizarro, who captured the Inca ruler Atahualpa in 1532 and overthrew the empire by 1533.
What were the three main motives of the Spanish conquest?
Gold (wealth), God (spreading Christianity) and glory (fame and status).
Define conquistador.
A Spanish soldier-adventurer who conquered new lands in the Americas, usually funding his own expedition.
What was the encomienda system?
A grant giving a Spaniard the labour and tribute of local people in return for 'protecting' them.
How did the Reconquista shape Spanish attitudes to conquest?
It ended in 1492 and left Spain warlike and Christian, viewing the fight against non-Christians as a holy duty.
Name three parts of the context that helped so few Spaniards win.
Superior weapons (steel, guns, horses), local allies such as the Tlaxcalans, and deadly diseases like smallpox.
Why was the Inca Empire vulnerable in 1532?
It was recovering from a civil war between the rival brothers Atahualpa and Huáscar, leaving it divided.
How did smallpox affect the conquest of Mexico?
It swept through in 1520, killing huge numbers of Aztecs, including the ruler Cuitláhuac, and weakening resistance.
What is the difference between a motive and context in this conquest?
Motive explains why the Spanish invaded (gold, God, glory); context explains why so few men won (allies, weapons, disease).
What does the command term 'evaluate' require?
A judgement: weigh the factors and reach a supported conclusion, not just a list.
2.2.212 cards
Who conquered the Aztec Empire, and when did its capital fall?
Hernán Cortés. The Aztec capital Tenochtitlan fell on 13 August 1521.
Who conquered the Inca Empire, and when?
Francisco Pizarro. He captured Atahualpa in 1532 and took Cusco in 1533.
Define conquistador.
A Spanish soldier-adventurer who conquered territory in the Americas, seeking gold, glory and land.
Who was Moctezuma II?
The Aztec ruler taken prisoner by Cortés in the capital Tenochtitlan.
Who was Atahualpa?
The Inca emperor captured by Pizarro at Cajamarca in 1532 and executed in 1533.
Who was Doña Marina (La Malinche)?
An enslaved native woman who acted as Cortés's interpreter and adviser and helped him form alliances.
What was the shared pattern of both conquests?
Land and found a base, win native allies, seize the emperor, then take the capital.
How did smallpox affect the conquests?
It was a European disease that killed huge numbers of Aztecs and Inca, weakening them far more than weapons did.
Why did the Inca Empire fall so fast?
It was already split by a civil war between Atahualpa and Huáscar, and disease and Spanish surprise did the rest.
Compare the roles of Cortés and Pizarro.
Cortés destroyed the Aztecs in Mexico (Tenochtitlan, 1521); Pizarro destroyed the Inca in Peru (Cusco, 1533). Both used native allies and captured the emperor.
Why does the case study run to 1551, not just 1533?
After the conquest the Spanish fought each other; Pizarro was assassinated in 1541 and royal control was only restored around 1551.
What is OPVL in a Paper 1 source question?
Judging a source by its Origin, Purpose and Content to find its Value and Limitation for a historian.
2.2.312 cards
Who conquered the Aztec Empire, and when did its capital fall?
Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs; the capital Tenochtitlan fell in 1521.
Who conquered the Inca Empire, and when?
Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incas between 1532 and 1533, taking the capital Cuzco.
What was the deadliest impact of the conquest?
Disease, especially smallpox. Indigenous people had no resistance, so epidemics caused a huge population collapse.
Define: encomienda
A grant giving a Spanish settler the right to demand labour and tribute from a group of Indigenous people.
Define: tribute (in this context)
Goods or money that conquered people were forced to hand over to their rulers.
Why did Potosí matter after 1545?
Its silver made Spain wealthy, but the mines relied on brutal forced Indigenous labour that caused great suffering.
What did the New Laws of 1542 try to do?
Limit the encomienda and protect Indigenous people, showing Spain knew the system was abusive.
How did the conquest change government in the region?
Spain replaced the Aztec and Inca empires with colonial rule under viceroys, using Spanish law, language and taxes.
How did the conquest change religion?
Catholic missionaries converted people to Christianity, often building churches on old temple sites, though older beliefs sometimes survived.
Compare: impact on Spain vs impact on Indigenous people
Spain gained land, silver and empire; Indigenous people suffered disease, forced labour, loss of their empires and religious change.
In a 4-mark source question, what is the core skill?
Link each origin, purpose or content point to a value OR a limitation of the source, rather than just describing it.
Why is 'the Spanish were cruel' a weak Paper 1 point?
It lumps everything together. Strong answers separate disease, conquest, forced labour, silver and religion and weigh which mattered most.
Topic 2.2 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Conquest of Mexico and Peru (1519–1551)
History exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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