Conquest and Colonization of America

🌎 Conquest and colonization of America

What happened when Europeans arrived in America?
Before Europeans arrived, America was already a continent full of incredible cultures. But one great encounter changed everything forever…

🧭 1. A continent full of life

Long before Christopher Columbus arrived in America, many different peoples lived here.
Some were great civilizations like the Aztecs in Mexico or the Incas in Peru. They had cities, temples, calendars, and were very good at agriculture, mathematics and construction.
Others lived in smaller tribes, in jungles, mountains, rivers or deserts. Each group had its own customs, language, clothing and ways of living.
They all took great care of nature and considered it sacred.

🗺️ 2. The great encounter

In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Europe in search of a new route to Asia.
But he did not arrive in Asia… he arrived in America!
At first they didn’t know it, but eventually the Europeans realized that they had found a new continent.
After Columbus, many other explorers came from Spain, Portugal, England, France and other countries. They wanted land, wealth and power.

⚔️ 3. The Conquest

Europeans not only explored. They also began to conquer.
Conquest meant taking control of a place, often by force.
Soldiers like Hernán Cortés, who conquered the Aztec Empire, and Francisco Pizarro, who defeated the Inca Empire, came.
They did so using guns, horses and making alliances with other peoples who were in conflict with the Aztecs or the Incas.

🏰 4. Colonization

After conquering, they began to colonize.
Colonizing meant that the Europeans stayed to live, built cities, imposed their laws, language and religion.
The indigenous peoples lost many of their lands and freedoms. Some were forced to work or leave their traditions behind.
They also brought slaves from Africa to work in fields and mines. It was a very difficult time for many people.

🌐 5. What remained: the legacy

Although many years have passed, we still feel what happened at that time.

• Languages: Spanish or Portuguese is spoken in many countries.
• Religion: Christianity became the main religion.
• Culture: Indigenous, African and European customs were mixed.
• Social problems: There is still inequality and some indigenous cultures struggle to be respected.

🎥 Watch this video to learn more

🔗 Spanish colonization of America

💭 Your mind in action

💬 Reflect:

1. What do you imagine the first encounter between Europeans and indigenous peoples was like?
2. Do you think indigenous peoples should have been listened to and respected more?
3. What do you think was most unfair about what happened during the conquest?

🗣️ Debate at home: Do you think that one people has the right to conquer another if they believe that their way of living is better?

🔍 Want to know more?

Other topics you may want to research:

• Who was Montezuma, the Aztec leader?
• What were the temples of the Incas like?
• What indigenous languages are still spoken in the Americas?
• What indigenous cultures are still alive today?
• What is religious syncretism?

🛠️ Show what you know

Choose one or more activities to capture your learning:

• 🎨 Create: Make a diorama that shows what life was like for an indigenous people before the arrival of Europeans.
• 📚 Write: Imagine you are an indigenous boy or girl in 1500. Write a letter telling how you feel about seeing the Europeans arrive.
• 🎭 Act: Make a short skit (alone or in a group) showing an important moment of the conquest. You can use costumes or puppets.
• 📌 Explain: Draw a timeline with 4 key moments: before arrival, discovery, conquest and colonization.