Native Riches
The earliest Spanish explorers had primarily sailed to and from various islands around the Caribbean. In 1519, Hernán Cortés led a party of approximately 600 soldiers on an expedition that landed on the shores of modern-day Mexico. Cortés and his men headed inland through the jungles and into the mountains of Central Mexico. As they traveled, they obtained food and other necessities from the natives they met, and in doing so received what would be highly valuable information about the country and its rulers — the
When Cortés spoke with the Mexican natives, he also learned about the gold, silver, and jewels that the Aztecs mined and used to make jewelry and statues. Eventually, rumors also reached the Spanish about another wealthy land located in the continent south of Mexico. These lands were inhabited by an indigenous people called the
The Fall of Montezuma
The Aztecs were an agricultural people who designed impressive buildings and crafted intricate jewelry. They were also a warring civilization who could be very cruel, often performing human sacrifices in the temples they erected. Ruled by the mighty Montezuma, they forced the natives of the country to pay them tribute. In addition, the Aztecs had schools, government, and laws that they enforced with corporal punishment. Within two years of Cor-tés' arrival in Mexico, he and his men successfully captured Tenochtitlán, the capital city of the Aztecs. At about the same time Montezuma had been stoned to death by a contingent of Aztecs who turned against him. These events gave the Spanish complete access to untold amounts of gold, silver, emeralds, and other jewels that would prove utterly irresistible to pirates. With such great prizes now within their grasp, the Spanish set their sights on the Incas.
Peruvian Plunder
The Incan Empire was located in Peru, and much like the Aztecs, the Incas were master crafters and builders who had set up a governmental system that collected tribute from its peoples. Like the Mexican lands the Aztecs had ruled, Peru was a wealth of gold, silver, and valuable minerals. As word of the wealth of this land made its way to the Spanish settlers living in Central America, plans were made to overcome the Incas and add Peru to the list of Spanish holdings. In 1532, Francisco Pizarro left Panama and headed for Peru with a group of around 200 soldiers. He soon captured Incan leader Atahualpa, and murdered the majority of his men. Pizarro then moved farther into the country, and in 1533 overtook the capital city of Cuzco, murdered Atahualpa, and “liberated” all the wealth stored in the city.
Just as the Aztecs had fallen, so did the Incas succumb to Spanish invaders. Spain now controlled the majority of South and Central America, all of the territory's gems, minerals, and precious metals, and the land in which these riches were mined. So much gold and silver was being mined in South America during this time that the Spanish established mints and began converting the metals into coins. Once news of Spain's assets and untapped treasures spread, the stage was set for a piratical clash that would last for centuries.
Unlike Montezuma, Atahualpa did not believe Pizarro and the Spaniards were gods or divine beings. When Pizarro entered Peru and told Atahualpa that he and his people would need to surrender and convert to Christianity, Atahualpa sent back word refusing the Spanish presence in his land saying he would “be no man's tributary” and asking “how do you know your god created the world?”
