It was officially created on 18 August 1521 as the Kingdom of New Spain (Spanish: reino). It later became the first of four viceroyalties Spain created in the Americas. Its first viceroy was Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco and the capital, both of the kingdom and of the later viceroyalty, was Mexico City.
What did Spain call its new American empire and how was it divided?
and 1540s, the Spanish Crown divided the American empire into two immense regions, known as viceroyalties, each ruled by a viceroy appointed by the king. The viceroyalty of New Spain consisted of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands.
What was the first empire to be conquered by the Spanish in the Americas?
conquest of the Aztec Empire
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico or the Spanish-Aztec War (1519–21), was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
Who was responsible for the expansion of the Spanish Empire?
The overseas expansion under the Crown of Castile was initiated under the royal authority and first accomplished by the Spanish conquistadors. The Americas were incorporated into the Spanish Empire, with the exception of Brazil, Canada, the eastern United States and several other small countries in South America and The Caribbean.
What was the significance of the Spanish American War?
“Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations” has been retired and is no longer maintained. For more information, please see the full notice. The Spanish-American War of 1898 ended Spain’s colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere and secured the position of the United States as a Pacific power.
Where did the Spanish leave their colonies in the Americas?
Spanish possession and rule of its remaining colonies in the Americas ended in that year with its sovereignty transferred to the United States. The United States took occupation of Cuba, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico.
What did the Spanish call their overseas possessions?
The Spanish royal government called its overseas possessions “The Indies” until its empire dissolved in the nineteenth century. Patterns set in this early period of exploration and colonization were to endure as Spain expanded further, even as the region became less important in the overseas empire after the conquests of Mexico and Peru.