Spanish Colonization of the Americas (New Spain / APUSH Period 1 / Colonial America)

In the first part of my lecture series on European colonization of the Americas, I take a look at the Spanish colonists, their goals, and their relationship with the Indians that they encountered. The Spanish were motivated by God, Glory, and Gold, seeking to create an empire in the Americas and to evangelize the Native American population. While many Spanish colonists looked at the Indians as sources of cheap labor to exploit through the encomienda, Bartolomé de las Casas led a movement to abolish this system of labor, wanting to create a climate more friendly to the Catholic Church's efforts to evangelize them. Priests set up missions throughout New Spain in order to convert Native Americans to Christianity.

The content of this lecture spans the end of APUSH Period 1. In most APUSH textbooks, this content will be found in Chapter 1 of most textbooks.

[joehiggins]

ow, this tea is hot. You know what else is hot? N E W S P A I N

[VictoriaMEaly]

I am a first year US History teacher and this was an awesome confirmation to the text that I've studied for this week's lesson. I will watch it at least 3 times! :-)

[bunnyswirl]

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[robertrowland]

You sir are a GOOD communicator.  I truly appreciate your efforts. Please keep 'em comin'.

[sand-glqo]

I'm a H.S. Junior taking U.S. History at a community college. This video is very helpful and informative since my professor goes off on a tangent during most lecture, so we don't learn much. I will definitely be recommending your channel to my classmates. Thank you :)

[heatherhfields]

I have a daughter who is studying the Spanish borderlands and this video really help her :]

[SicknastyFPS]

If you guys are doing a worksheet you can find most of the information at 7:34

[jasminesoza]

Thank you so much ! I'm a transfer student from Arizona going to a school in New York, I had a AP summer project I was working on about how the colonist treated the natives. This really helped, you teach very well!

[carlosi]

Great but there is a HUGE mistake in  7:18 the spaniards founded big setlementes like Guanajuato, Mérida, Monterrey, Querétaro, Valladolid, Guadalajara, Veracruz etc.. basically ALL of the current Mexican cities, at the North where there were small populations and there were no major cities, those were the ones that were only Missions. - That´s why later the Americans could easily grab that territory, cause there was not enough hispanic population to form cities and well defended garrisons.

[jayschaffer]

I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for making these videos they are extremely helpful and educational.

[JayElDiplee]

I know I am late to the game as far as your channel is concerned but I have got to say I love your demeanor and teaching style. I love history and because of that I am always listening to/ watching history videos on YT and because of that I am surprised that I never came across your channel. You gained a subscriber and probably a lot of views from me. Thanks for your content.

[HuntingTheEnd]

I'm a freshman in highschool and I love these videos. I'm not even taking the classes for half these things but im watching for sole entertainment

[AndreiVideoEditor]

Hey Tom, lovely stuff here, really appreciate your efforts!

[j-rocgood]

Hey Tom Richey, I have a question. If the initial Spanish colonies were primarily focused on forced labor (Encomienda) without much significant Permanent European settlement, then how was there such high rates of inter-breeding between the Spaniards and Aboriginals. It was a little surprising to me, I was under the impression that forced labor of conquered tribes was accompanied by large scale permanent Spanish settlement early on. Perhaps this primarily took place after Encomienda was abolished.

[masn]

I find it amazing the fact that you mention Bartolomé. Do you know Bartolomé's book is absolutely refuted by any impartial historian? In fact, Bartolomé's book was modified by the Dutch in order to legitimate its independence from Spain (with Theodor de Bry's help as well).
Protestantism = brought the biggest genocides in History (almost everyone is white in US and Australia because they wiped out the Indigenous people from those lands to repoblate them with white people; the rise of Nazi Germany, another Protestant nation).
Catholicism: the biggest Mestizo society exists where Spain ruled because there wasn't racism unlike Protestant societies.

[julioemanuellohaiza]

Thanks for the video Tom. Yes most people in Latin America are Mestizos. A mixture of Spanish and Indian. Although the term "Mestizo" isn't used anymore, most people in Latin America are aware of our European and Native American heritage. In Mexico we take pride in being half European and Half Indian. Our culture is European and Indian combined. Although some people do dislike Spain.

[viktor_vaughn]

Encomienda comes from the Spanish word Encomendar, which roughly translate to Assign

[rmhutchins]

I came across your YouTube videos.  I enjoy history, and I enjoy your videos.

[marktwain]

The map showing Spanish America shows Canada incorrectly: Upper Canada was strictly around Lake Ontario and Erie; the eastern part was Quebec (Lower Canada). I'm a History teacher and darn it! You have to make it right!

[rubengarza]

I'm native American half Spaniard I live in south texas and my family come from north Mexico so that makes me mestizo?