A brief slideshow that presents key ideas about the Spanish Empire in the Americas. Students must then answer four questions in an assessment.

Given short summaries about the reasons for European exploration and colonization of North America, students will compare English and Spanish settlements in the New World.

When the Spanish Crown (the monarchy) learned of the promise of wealth offered by vast continents that had been previously unknown to Europeans, they sent forces to colonize the land, convert the indigenous populations, and extract...

Visit such Spanish sites in Puerto Rico as El Morro, the fort that provided the keystone to protection of the Spanish Empire that spread across the Caribbean. Many photographs and drawings.

A self-evaluation using primary sources assesses labor, slavery, and caste in the Spanish colonial system.

The Florentine Codex contains an unparalleled wealth of information regarding the people and culture of central Mexico immediately preceding the Conquest and its discussion of the Conquest itself. View pictures and descriptions of the...

Explore the origins of Canada and the United States as Jamestown, Quebec, and Santa Fe celebrate their 400th anniversary.

Paintings that celebrated St. Joseph as a youthful, caring father skyrocketed to popularity during the 16th and 17th centuries, both in Spain and throughout the Spanish Empire. This particular painting of the lively, vigorous St. Joseph...

A great map showing the explorations of Spanish, French, and English explorers in North America between 1530 and 1675. A detailed key identifies each explorer and route. From the Perry-Castaneda Collection