Spanish colonization of the Americas

The Spanish colonization of the Americas was the process by which the Crown of Castile, and later of Spain, explored, conquered and ruled large parts of the Western Hemisphere. After the first voyages of Christopher Columbus, conquistadors such as Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro overthrew the Aztec and Inca empires with the help of indigenous allies, superior weapons and, above all, the spread of epidemic diseases. Spain established the viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru and exploited silver mines such as Potosi. Millions of indigenous people died, forced labour systems such as the encomienda were imposed, and enslaved Africans were brought in. Most colonies won independence in the early nineteenth century, and Spain lost its last major possessions, Cuba and Puerto Rico, in 1898.

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