During European Expansion
During the earliest years of the European expansion over the American continents, the search for gold and richness was one of the factors in the exploration and colonization of the vast land.
Christopher Columbus's voyages
However then, Columbus had a different idea: " Why not sail west across the Atlantic instead of around the massive African continent?" For years, Columbus proposed his plans to the Portuguese and Spanish kings, but he was turned down each time. Finally, in 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella reconsidered his requests which made Columbus negotiating a business contract with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, entitling him to 10% of all profits. He promised to bring back gold, spices, and silk from Asia, spread Christianity, and explore China |
"that of all and every kind of merchandise, whether pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever, of whatever kind, name and sort, which may be bought, bartered, discovered, acquired and obtained within the limits of the said Admiralty, Your Highnesses grant from now henceforth to the said Don Cristóbal [Christopher Columbus] ... the tenth part of the whole, after deducting all the expenses which may be incurred therein."
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Earlier voyage:
Columbus led an expedition with three ships, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria (captained by Columbus), and about 90 crew members in 1492 from Spain. On October 11, 1492, they landed on an island, called Guanahani, ( San Salvador) where they met the local Taino Indians. When the local Taino Indians greeted Columbus and his crew, little pieces of gold suspend from holes in their noses, triggered his attempt to learn more about the availability and the quality of gold. The Santa Maria, his ship, stuck on the banks of the Espanola island while he was sailing around to search for gold, he found that the local people arrived to trade bits gold. And the island chieftain gave him an impressive mask inset with large pieces of gold which triggered his thirst of gold even more. However, while exploring the islands in the area and looking for gold to loot, Columbus' men traveled to the islands of Hispaniola. On the return trip, in March 1493, the Santa Maria was wrecked. Therefore, Colombus left 40 men behind in a makeshift settlement on Hispaniola he returned to Spain in the Niña. When he arrived at Europe, he brought out many things to the Spanish King and Queen including kidnapped Taino, but he didn't show them enough gold. So the Spanish King and Queen told him to go back to the learn and search for more gold. |
Later Voyage:
In 1493, he sailed with 17 ships and 1,200 - 1,500 men to find gold and he realized that no one he left behind was no longer existed - they had been killed by the island's chief who also had a lot of gold in his land. Therefore, Columbus and his men invaded the land to get the gold and cause the fighting between the local people and his crew broke out. To intimidate them, Columbus chopped 3 local captains head and captured Indians as slaves in the Indies. Then he headed west, with his own complement of native slaves, to continue his mostly fruitless search for gold and other goods. Columbus also spread the idea of Christian slave trade. In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic for the third time where the colonists had staged a bloody revolt against the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish authorities had to send a new governor to take over. Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Spain in chains. In 1502, Columbus persuaded the Spanish king to pay for one last trip across the Atlantic. This time, Columbus made it all the way to Panama where he had to abandon two of his four ships in the face of an attack from hostile natives. Empty-handed, the elderly explorer returned to Spain, where he died in 1506. |
The news in Europe
After the discovery of the emerge of gold, Columbus wrote his king and queen a letter and tell them the magnitude of the Spanish island. The letter was then published in Latin in the spring of 149. By the end of 13th century, it had been printed and the news spread quickly within the various cities in Europe.
After that, Europeans began to seek for gold and eventually the rumor brought Herman Cortes and several hundred men to Mexico in 1519 who want to follow the tales of powerful ruler and immense wealth. |
" Thanks Christopher Columbus for inspiring explorers and settlers to come over the land he thought that he had discovered for the first time. And without him, none of us are here.
And thanks him for doing such a dramatic work that millions of Native America aren't here. Such a nice work huh ? " |
Aztec Mexico
When Herman Cortes and 11 ships with around 500 men, some horses, and some cannon arrived at the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico in April of 1519.
Cortes heard of the gold and treasures of the Aztecs and wanted to conquer them and take their treasure for Spain. He requested a meeting with the Aztec Emperor, Montezuma II, but was repeatedly turned down. March to Tenochtitlan: Gathering his small force of 500 men, Cortes began to march to Tenochtitlan, the heart of the Aztec Empire. Along the way, he met with other cities and peoples. He found out that some tribes didn't like their Aztec rulers so he made alliances with them, including the powerful Tlaxcala people. Massacre at Cholula: Cortes next arrived at the city of Cholula. It was the second largest city of Mexico and a religious center of the Aztec Empire. When Cortes found out that the people at Cholula planned to kill him in his sleep, he killed around 3,000 nobles, priests, and warriors. He also burned down a portion of the city => Lots of death. Meeting Montezuma II: When Cortes arrived at Tenochtitlan on November 8, 1519 he was welcomed by the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II. Although Montezuma did not trust Cortes, he thought that Cortes might be the god Quetzalcoatl in human form. He tried to prevent the arrival of the Spaniards in his city by giving Cortes and his men gifts of gold. He offered Cortes with extravagant gifts, gold and silver disks which had the size as the card wheel; diadems, earrings, and figures of gold and mosaic; multistrand necklaces with hundreds of gold beads and red and green stone - all were among the exotic and wonderfully strange objects the Spaniards received as tribute. He thought that these gifts would keep Cortes from taking over the city, but they just made Cortes want more. Unfortunately, all of the gifts were melted down and discarded, so he marched on to Tenochtitlan, where he prison Motecuhzoma and sacked the treasury. |
Much of contents went to Spain, but only a few of the most exceptional pieces reached there in the shapes; the rest arrived as bullion.
However, Governor Velasquez from Cuba sent another expedition under conquistador Panfilo de Narvaez to take command from Cortes. Cortes left Tenochtitlan to fight Narvaez. After taking care of Narvaez, Cortes returned to Tenochtitlan. He found out that his men had killed King Montezuma. He decided to flee the city. On the night of June 30, 1520 Cortes and his men escaped from the city. Many of them died. The night is called La Noche Triste, or "The Sad Night". Conquering the Aztecs: Cortes soon returned to Tenochtitlan with a large army of his allies, the Tlaxcala. He laid siege to the city and eventually conquered the city and the Aztec Empire. Governor of Mexico: After conquering the Aztecs, Cortes renamed the city of Tenochtitlan to Mexico City.The city became the Spanish capital of the territory which was called New Spain. Later Life: Cortes fell out of favor with the King of Spain. He was forced to return to Spain to defend himself. In 1541, he participated in an unsuccessful expedition to Algiers where he nearly drowned when his ship was sunk. He died on December 2, 1547 in Spain. Map of Cortes' march to conquer the Aztecs
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By the time of the Spanish invasions
Peruvian civilisation had thrived for centuries and had reached a high level of sophistication. Gold had been recovered from placer deposits in Andean rivers from as early as 1200BC. In a succession of civilisations beginning with that of the Chavin, the goldsmith's skill developed over 2,500 years to a magnificent climax during the Chimu Empire ( from 1150 to 1450 AD) When the Incas conquered the Chimu in the mid-fifteenth century, the Chimu goldsmiths' craft was held in esteem because the sun was a deity to the Inca and gold was considered to be "the sweat of the sun". |
The Inca capital was Cuzco, where the Temple of the Sun was one of the marvels of the time, with almost every inch of its walls covered in gold.
The royal gardens were described as a dazzling combination of exotic plants and sculptures of animals, birds, trees and plants all made from silver and gold. |
But the lure of golden cities still went on... and everything was nearly destroyed...
Inka Peru,
In the mid-1520s, Francisco Pizarro, heard about rumors of a land in South America that was full of gold and other treasures.
In 1532, he and his men landed on the coast of South America and encountered communities with abundant gold and silver as he sail along the pacific coast of Colombia. Pizarro also met Atahualpa. At first, Atahualpa felt he had nothing to worry about. Pizarro only had a few hundred men while he had tens of thousands. However, Pizarro set a trap for Atahualpa and took him prisoner. As ransom, the latter offered to fill the room in which he was imprisoned once with gold and twice with silver. Over the next four months nearly eight tonnes of gold were accumulated but, in return, Pizarro baptised Atahualpa, then promptly had him strangled in public. |
Reference to:
http://www.ducksters.com/biography/explorers/hernan_cortes.php
http://www.goldfeverprospecting.com/goinanwo.html
http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/ask-us/how-much-gold-did-the-conquistadores-get