SS PPT

1. Conquerors and Indigenous People
Antonio Martín

2. Brainstorming
A story about the conquest would be
incomplete without a record of the
actions of resistance. Why is it important to
understand both sides of the story?
What happens when you have access to
only one side of the story?

3. Spanish Victory
 Some people saw the conquest in
the past, and there are those who
still see it today, as a glorious feat of
a handful of men who managed to
defeat a great empire in a few
years.
 So when it comes to explaining why
the Tahuantinsuyo was subjected in
a few years by a small group of
conquerors, it is said that they were
very brave, coming from a superior
culture, with guns, iron armor and
horses.

4. Spanish Victory
 The truth is that it was nothing but an
invasion full of violent and criminal acts.
Although firearms and horses helped, the
main cause of the rapid fall of the Inca
Empire was its deep internal crisis, as we
have seen. The Inca Empire collapsed from
within.
 The few hundreds of Spaniards were
supported in their fight against the Inca
troops, by whole tribes against the empire,
who collaborated with the conquerors.
Many caciques were allied to the Spaniards
and even offered them his daughters as
wives. To that, the diseases brought by the
invaders were added. Epidemics
decimated, terrified and disconcerted to
aboriginal people.

5. From Conquest to Colonization
 As we have seen, the conquerors were usually poor
people coming from economically depressed regions.
Some of them had been jailed for crimes such as
insurrection. They were interested in gaining fame,
money and social advancement. They also wanted to
spread Christianity in the continent.
 They participated in the conquest and the looting were
distributed. Some of them returned to Spain, some rich
and some as poor as before. Many stayed in America as
settlers. They received lands and offices in cities. Several
of them were married or lived with daughters of chiefs,
and ensured alliances with local power.

6. From Conquest to Colonization
 In few years, the first conquerors became
colonists and lived with other Spaniards who
arrived later and were luckier. They made
great fortunes.
 The colonists needed the support of the
Crown, the Spanish State to maintain its
dominance. But sometimes, they faced the
peninsular authorities because their interests
were opposed.
 They wanted to take over the lands and
indigenous people. The Crown wanted
direct control of his new empire and their
new subjects.

7. Creoles
 Colonists who were born in Spain and
came to America were called
peninsular, chapetones, godos or
gachupines.
 They formed their families in these
lands with women who also came
from the peninsula. Their children,
who were considered white,
 they were called Creoles, and
demanded equal privileges that their
parents.
 The Creoles, at first, were few, but
eventually grew in number and
gained a lot of influence and
importance.

8. Indigenous Resistance
 Indigenous peoples were dominated, but they
managed to survive. Although many people died,
they preserved their life in communities with their
chiefs or caciques. They kept some of their land
and community work.
 Indigenous resistance did not end with the defeat
of Atahualpa and Rumiñahui. It continued in the
following centuries. Sometimes, through uprisings or
"uprising", but mostly through non-violent actions,
such as defense of community life, land, festivals,
language and customs, they managed to maintain
his life and identity .
 Since the conquest, the indigenous peoples were
not taken into account in our traditional history. But
indigenous people have been a fundamental part
of our common past. They are still present so far in
our life as a nation and are important participants in
society.

9. Diseases and Conquest
 The conquerors brought diseases from the Old World, and since the first contacts,
the indigenous peoples were infected. Smallpox, bubonic plague, cholera and flu
killed entire populations.
 These diseases didn’t exist in America and its inhabitants hadn’t developed natural
defenses against them. The flu, for example, was an annoyance for Europeans, but
nobody died. The body could resist it. But indigenous people easily got infected and
thousands died from the flu. Over time they managed to overcome it with defenses.
 The disease not only caused massive casualties. They also affected indigenous
beliefs. Shamans didn’t know how to cure them and people thought they were
punishment from the gods. That weakened the morale of the troops and peoples
which ended up quitting.

10. Reference Sources:
 Estudios Sociales, Corporación Eitora Nacional. Ministerio de Educación de
Ecuador. Imprenta Mariscal.