This term refers to the period from late 15th century onwards when explorers from Spain and Portugal colonized vast territories in South America, leading to significant cultural, social, and political changes.
Think of the Spanish and Portuguese in South America as a new coach joining a football team. They bring new strategies (culture), recruit new players (settlers), and change the game's dynamics (social and political structures).
Conquistadors: Spanish explorers who conquered large areas of Central and South America.
Treaty of Tordesillas: An agreement between Spain and Portugal in 1494 that divided newly discovered lands outside Europe between them along a meridian.
Encomienda System: A labor system where the Spanish crown granted colonists authority over indigenous people living on land they claimed.
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