Changes

Francisco Pizzaro led the conquest of Peru, betraying and eventually killing their emperor, Atahualpa.  The ancient Peru city of Cuzco was completely destroyed and replaced with the city of Lima.  While in Peru, Pizzaro also discovered the greatest silver mine in the Americas, the vast majority of which was traded with China, whose economy was based on silver.  Both Cortes’ and Pizzaro’s conquests were facilitated by the use of horses, superior weapons, and devastating European diseases like smallpox.  The native population had no immunity to such disease, and simply giving them a bunch of blankets exposed to the deadly germ could end up killing many natives.   

Francisco Pizzaro led the conquest of Peru, betraying and eventually killing their emperor, Atahualpa.  The ancient Peru city of Cuzco was completely destroyed and replaced with the city of Lima.  While in Peru, Pizzaro also discovered the greatest silver mine in the Americas, the vast majority of which was traded with China, whose economy was based on silver.  Both Cortes’ and Pizzaro’s conquests were facilitated by the use of horses, superior weapons, and devastating European diseases like smallpox.  The native population had no immunity to such disease, and simply giving them a bunch of blankets exposed to the deadly germ could end up killing many natives.   

Using the Spanish system of “encomiendas”, many of the South American natives became slaves to their Spanish conquerors.  A Dominican monk and missionary, Bartholomew de Las Casas, sent sensational descriptions to the Spanish government of the supposed atrocities committed against the “patient, meek and peaceful” natives by the Spanish conquistadors, whom he described as “cruel tigers, wolves and lions.”  Although some of what Las Casas said was true, historical research has proved most of it to be false and exaggerated.  However dishonest his methods may have been, Las Casas’ reports eventually led to the king of Spain issuing “New Laws,” by which exploitation of the natives was ended by the replacement of the old “encomiendas” with the new “repartimientos”.  Both systems are criticized as unfair today.  The system of “encomiendas” was based on royal grants of land, while the system of “repartimientos” was based on gifts of Indian labor.  Either way, the Indians ended up working for the Spanish.

Using the Spanish system of “encomiendas”, many of the South American natives became slaves to their Spanish conquerors.  A Dominican monk and missionary, [[Bartholomew de Las Casas]], sent sensational descriptions to the Spanish government of the supposed atrocities committed against the “patient, meek and peaceful” natives by the Spanish conquistadors, whom he described as “cruel tigers, wolves and lions.”  Although some of what Las Casas said was true, historical research has proved most of it to be false and exaggerated.  However dishonest his methods may have been, Las Casas’ reports eventually led to the king of Spain issuing “New Laws,” by which exploitation of the natives was ended by the replacement of the old “encomiendas” with the new “repartimientos”.  Both systems are criticized as unfair today.  The system of “encomiendas” was based on royal grants of land, while the system of “repartimientos” was based on gifts of Indian labor.  Either way, the Indians ended up working for the Spanish.

===Exploration by Other Nations===

===Exploration by Other Nations===