The Later Empires

1400-1519: The Aztec (Mexica) Empire

• c. 1325: Tenochtitlan is founded.
• c. 1430: Itzcoatl establishes an alliance of three cities which gained political control and forced other cities to pay tribute.
• 1502-1520: Montezuma II expands the Aztec (Mexica) empire.

1438-1538: The Inca Empire

• c. 13th c.: The first Inca, Manco Capac establishes Cuzco.
• 1438: The ninth Inca, Pachacutic, begins the expansion of the empire.
• 1470: The Chimu are destroyed.
• 1471-1493: Under Tupac Yupanqui the empire reaches its greatest southern advance.
• 1513: Under Huayana Capac Quito is conquered.
• 1533: The Empire is conquered by a Spanish army under Francisco Pizarro.

1519-1810: The Spanish Empire

• 1494: Treaty of Tordesillas.
• 1510: First slaves are imported from Africa.
• 1519-1521: The Aztecs Empire is conquered by a Spanish army led by Hernando Cortes.
  • Smallpox appears for the first time on the island of Hispaniola.
• 1527: Beginnings of the encomienda system.
• 1531-1534: The Inca Empire is conquered by a Spanish army led by Francisco Pizarro.
• 1535: Lima is founded.
  • Viceroyalty of New Spain is established.
• 1542-1545: The News laws which made the Amerindian natives vassals of the King.
• 1550: Bartolome de Las Casas defends the rights of natives peoples at Valloid.

This chronology based on the work of

Richard W. Slatta [Slatta@ncsu.edu]

Professor of History

North Carolina State University

 http://courses.ncsu.edu/classes/hi300001/hi216time.htm

Used by permission.

Revised January 2004

 

Primary Sources

• deLeon: Chronicles
• Two Documents from the Reign of Philip II

Secondary Sources