-
1521
Sixteenth-century incursions
Hernan Cortes led the famed expedition that brought the fall of the Aztec Empire in 1521 and the conquest of Mexico. After defeating Moctezuma, Cortes shrewdly left much of the Aztec political and tributary system inact. He allowed local elites to retain influence over their policies, but required under the spanish monarchy to pay tribute through the encomienda system. -
1521
Sixteenth incursions
Hernan Cortes led the first major conquest in Mexico in 1519 and toppled the Aztec Empire there in 1521. More Spaniards arrived in the Americas, hoping to emulate Cortes's success. Francisco Pizarro overthrew the Inca Empire shortly in 1532. The other conquistadores fell far short of Cortes and Pizarro but the total impact of these ambitious adventurers was to reshape the Americas and new territory. The encomienda system was to be required to pay tribute to the Spanish monarchy. -
1534
Protestant challenge to Spain
Queen Elizabeth I approved a Protestant confession to faith, but chose to retain the Catholic ritual of Holy Communion and left the church. In 1577, Devon ventured into the Pacific to disrupt the Spanish shipping to manila. Drake's fleet lost 3 ships and a hundred men, but the survivors captured two Spanish treasure ships and completed the first English circumnavigation of the globe. When Drake returned to England, they brought silk, spices, silver, gold, for his investors. -
Plantation colonies
The fate of Roanoke aka the "lost colony" remains a compelling puzzle for modern historians. With the founding of Jamestown in 1607, England gained its first permanent settlement in North America. Merchants then took charge of English expansion. This all became the joint-stock corporation that scooped many investors, spreading the financial risk widely. Tobacco became the first crop of the Americas that fetched a high price in England and spurred the migration of thousands of immigrants.