South and Central America

At the beginning of the 1500s Europeans encountered a number of civilizations, which were characterised by technological development, in Mesoamerica (part of Central America) and the Andes.

These empires were quickly subjugated by the Spanish invaders, who established colonial administration and introduced Christianity.

The Spaniards plundered the empires of their abundant gold and silver, which was then transported to Europe. The pre-Spanish (pre-Columbian) cultures are known especially for their architectural ruins and their wealth of archaeological finds.

The dividing up of territories between Spain and Portugal

A papal decree of 1494 divided the newly discovered world between the two great powers of the period of discovery, Spain and Portugal.

At the Treaty of Tordesillas a line of demarcation was drawn a specific distance west from the Cape Verde Islands, which determined the areas of interest of the two countries. In this way the western part of South America was allotted to Spain and the eastern part to Portugal.

Here the Portuguese met an Indian population, whose culture was clearly different to those which the Spanish had come across in the west.

Many of these Indians, who until then had lived in small independent communities, were forcibly incorporated into the European plantations along the Atlantic coast, whilst others were able to preserve their freedom in the forests of the interior.

The scattered Indian population did not provide a sufficient workforce for the sugar plantations and the Portuguese soon began to import slaves from their colonies in Africa.