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Feb 7, 2024 · In this gallery of seven maps, we examine the vast overseas territories of the Spanish Empire from the late 15th century to the 19th century. The empire reached its height during the Age of Exploration and included regions in the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.
- Graphic Designer
- The Thirst For Gold
- Aztec Gold
- Inca Gold
- The Gold of El Dorado
- Lost Treasures
When Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) arrived in the Americas in 1492, the one commodity that all European monarchs craved was gold. With this precious yellow metal, armies, mercenaries, and gunpowder weapons could be paid for, and their kingdoms could be defended and expanded. Gold has always been rare, but at the end of the 15th century, it was e...
When Cortés began the conquest of Mexico in 1519, the search for gold was foremost in his mind and the primary motivation of his fellow conquistadors. The superior weapons of the conquistadors, their aggressive and total wartactics, and the brilliant use of local allies all conspired to bring the Spanish victory after victory and ultimate control o...
In Peru, the conquistador Francisco Pizarro attacked the Inca Empire in 1532 and captured its ruler, Atahualpa. The Inca civilization considered gold the sweat of their sun god Inti, and so it was used to manufacture all manner of objects of religious significance, especially masks and sun disks. The Coricancha Temple of the Sun in Cuscowas covered...
In ancient Colombia, gold was also revered for its lustre and association with the sun. In powdered form, gold was used to cover the body of the future Muisca (Chibcha) king in a lavish coronation ceremony, which gave rise to the legend of El Dorado ('Gilded Man'). The newly dusted monarch then leapt into Lake Guatavita in a ritual act of cleansing...
As the conquistadors were only interested in gold and not what shape it came in, they relentlessly melted artefacts down to make coins and ingots, which were easier to transport back to Europe and easier to share out amongst themselves. Sacred statues, despite the best efforts of the locals to hide them away, were found and melted down. Gold items ...
- Mark Cartwright
Jul 4, 2024 · Here is a very brief timeline for known human settlement and history in North America from 1500 BC to 2000 AD: Pre-Columbian Era (Before 1492) 1500 BC: Rise of the Olmec civilization in present-day Mexico, often considered the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica.
Sep 8, 2017 · This chart compares the economies of major powers from 1AD all the way until today, showing the impact of Industrial Revolution and re-emergence of Asia.
Jun 25, 2020 · Discover how this period shaped the Americas and left a lasting legacy in our world today. Explore the rich history of New Spain, a crucial era marked by dramatic exploration, cultural fusion, and the birth of empires.
Something to keep in mind is that the Spanish empire over the course of its empire extracted roughly 200 tonnes of gold from its colonies in the Americas and today Mexico produces roughly 120 tonnes of gold per year.
Historians estimate that between 1500 and 1650 Spain carried more than 180 tons of gold and 16,000 tons of silver from New Spain to Europe. The extraction of gold during this period was about ten times more than that of all the rest of the world combined. Spain became one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations in the world.
