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In 1492, Christopher Columbus was sent by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to sponsor a voyage for Spain. From here on, Christoper Columbus sailed with three small ships to explore the islands of what is now the Caribbean Sea.
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European slave traders begin shipping slaves to the Caribbean for sale. Many European explorers during this time traded valuable items such as guns and goods for African slaves. These African slaves were used to mine gold for the Spanish and to grow their cotton.
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Ponce de Leon was eager to discover the truth of a popular Indian rumor about the "Fountain of Youth", Despite his wealth, he decides to go with two-hundred other men to Florida and find this popular rumor. He was unable to find it when he was there, but he made sure to establish a Spanish settlement.
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When Hernan Cortez found out about the wonderful riches the Aztec Empire possessed, he wanted to be the first one to conquer them. This was exactly what he did. In 1519, Cortez and five-hundred soldiers went to the Aztec Empire and conquered them, making sure not to leave any gold behind.They tore down the Aztec Empire and used its stones to create what they called Mexico City.
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Francisco Pizarro led an attack against the Inca Empire and successfully defeated them. When he was there he killed the Inca Chief, Atahualpa, and took all of their gold. From there Spanish conquistadors conquered most of South America.
