Category Voyages

               Much of the Pacific Ocean wasn’t explored at the beginning of the 16th century. Magellan’s discovery of the strait that cuts through the southern tip of South America, connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, had motivated the Spanish to explore more of the Pacific Ocean.

               An expedition left Spain in 1525, under the command of Garcia de Loaisa. Their mission was to explore the Pacific Ocean from the Strait of Magellan.

               Unfortunately, with seven ships in the convoy, three did not make it through the passage and the rest became separated by the time they reached the Pacific. Only the ship named Victoria continued sailing.

               Miguel Lopez de Legazpi from New Spain arrived in the Philippines in 1564. Thus he claimed the wealthy island for Spain.

               The Spanish were slowly gaining understanding of the winds and currents of the Pacific. In 1668 the Spanish founded a colony on Guam as a resting place for west-bound galleons.

               For a long time this was the only non-coastal European settlement in the Pacific.

               Spanish settlements raked in much wealth by digging for gold in Mexico, and silver in Peru. The natives were completely dominated by the Spaniards, and were forced into slavery. They had to do gruelling work day and night in the gold and silver mines. Every bit of the gold and silver they unearthed was shipped back to Spain in regular convoys of galleons from the Americas. The monopoly of Spain in this field was greatly envied by other nations such as England, France and Holland.

               Spain created two viceroyalties in the new world of America. The first in the Central America was New Spain, and the second, in South America, was Peru.

               After conquering the Aztecs, Hernan Cortes started working on the construction of Mexico City. He destroyed the Aztec temples and buildings. Soon the place became the most important European city in the Americas. All these new settlements strengthened Spanish authority in South America. Thus, Spain became a mighty sea power. 

               The Spanish colonization under the leadership of Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizzaro is often cited as one of the reasons behind the destruction of great civilizations like the Aztec and Inca.

               At the time of Cortes’ arrival, in Mexico, Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire was at the height of its splendour. In the palace of the Aztec king, Moctezuma, the Spaniards saw much gold and silver, and this intensified their greed.

               Cortes attacked the Aztec king. His men behaved so disgracefully towards the Aztecs that they raised in revolt. Soon, the Spaniards managed the destruction of Tenochtitlan. With the fall of the capital city, the Aztec civilization, with its staggering sophistication, especially in the field of engineering, was slowly destroyed.

              Then came the turn of the Incas. Just as the Aztec Empire fell, following the death of its king, the Inca Empire too, was doomed when its empire was captured by Francisco Pizzaro another Spaniard, and his followers. Thus by the end of 1533, the Inca Empire with all its skills had vanished.

               Even though the voyage of Hernan Cortes to Mexico is considered to be great, it is infamous in the pages of history, for the destruction of these two great civilizations. 

               Hernan Cortes was a Spanish conquistador and explorer. His expedition caused the fall of the Aztec Empire in the early 16th century. He claimed Mexico for Spain.

               Cortes was born in 1485 in the village of Medellin, Spain. He chose to pursue a livelihood in the New World. He went to Hispaniola and later to Cuba, where he received a commission and, for a short time, became magistrate of the second Spanish town on the island. He joined an expedition to Cuba led by Diego Velazquez in 1511.

               In 1518, Cortes was to command his own expedition to Mexico, but Velazquez cancelled it. Cortes ignored the order. In 1519, Hernan Cortes left Cuba with about 600 men, and set out for the Yucatan region of Mexico. After reaching the land, Cortes executed a successful strategy of allying with some indigenous people against others.

               After he overthrew the Aztec Empire, Cortes was awarded the title of Marques del Valle de Oaxaca. Herman Cortes returned to Spain, where he died in 1547.

               The King was unhappy with Jacques Cartier for abandoning the Roberval and the colonists. Cartier was personally disappointed about not finding the treasure in Canada as he had been ordered to. Jean-Francois de Roberval also returned from Canada, with no better results than Cartier.

               There was a huge disappointment at these fruitless attempts. After these setbacks, France didn’t show any interest in these new lands for half a century, and Cartier’s career as a state-funded explorer came to an end.

               He spent his remaining years attending to his business affairs at his estate near Saint Malo. He was guilty of disobeying orders and leaving Roberval to fend for himself in Canada.

               However, Cartier was credited with initiating French authority in Canada. Though it happened by accident, the fact that he named Canada was also recognized by the world. Without his expeditions, the French language would probably not have been spoken in Canada. And he opened up the greatest waterway for the European penetration of North America.

          In May of 1541, Cartier departed on his third voyage as the chief navigator. The goals now were to find the ‘Kingdom of Saguenay’ and its riches.

          A few months after he started, a group of colonists followed him, under the command of Jean-Francois de Roberval, whom the king titled the first lieutenant general of French Canada. Jacques Cartier made landfall on the present-day Cap-Rouge, Quebec. He built a fort there, and it became the first French settlement.

          They explored the land and collected quartz crystals and iron pyrites, which they thought were diamonds and gold. For many months, Cartier waited for the colonists. Finally, he left for France. He encountered the colonists along the Newfoundland coast. Despite Roberval’s insistence that he accompany him back to Saguenay Cartier sailed back to France, still convinced his vessels contained a wealth of gold and diamonds. He arrived at France in October. Only after returning to France did he realize that what he and his men had collected were not diamonds and gold.