6.5.2 Expansion and conflict The Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 gave Spain and Portugal some peace for a while. However, by the late 1500s, other European countries began to set up their own colonies in the Americas. When the inevitable conflicts between European nations began, Spain, Great Britain and France were the most active in expanding and fighting for the New World. The Dutch also played a role, mainly in the north-east of North America, famously founding New Amsterdam, which later became New York. All these countries saw the Americas as a chance to gain wealth, and since they often fought each other in Europe, no country wanted the others to succeed. 6.5.3 The end of New Spain For three centuries, Spain was the dominant power in much of North America. By the early 1800s, calls for independence emerged as colonies sought self-governance. In 1810, Mexico declared independence, leading to a ten-year war that finally achieved freedom. Britain supported the colonies to weaken Spain’s trade control. By the 1820s, most Spanish colonies in the Americas were independent. In 1898, the US defeated Spain, gaining Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, and ending over 400 years of Spanish rule. 6.5 SkillBuilder activity USING HISTORICAL SOURCES Your task is to research the expansion of New Spain as shown in SOURCE2 . 1. Using an atlas and information found online, identify the year of establishment of the cities labelled in SOURCE2 . 2. Add the location of some other cities named after saints. Include their name and year of establishment. 3. After plotting your information, describe the expansion of New Spain. You could refer to one or more of the following: • The direction of the expansion • The time taken to establish new cities • The regions into which New Spain expanded
6.5
Exercise
Learning pathways LEVEL1 1, 2, 3
LEVEL2
LEVEL3
4, 6
5, 7, 8
REMEMBER AND UNDERSTAND 1. Why did Spain want to create an empire in the New World? Identify all applicable answers. A. To convert people from Christianity B. To expand its territories C. To expand its wealth D. To convert people to Catholicism 2. Identify which of the following European powers did not have a presence in North America. A. Great Britain B. France C. The Netherlands D. Germany
TOPIC6 The Spanish and the Americas 139
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