Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Conquistadors were Spanish explorers and conquerors who played a significant role during the Age of Exploration. They sought wealth, power, and glory by colonizing territories in the Americas on behalf of Spain.
Related terms
Encomienda System: A labor system established by the Spanish conquistadors where indigenous people were forced to work on plantations or mines under Spanish control.
Columbian Exchange: The widespread exchange of plants, animals, diseases, ideas, and technologies between Europe and the Americas following Christopher Columbus's voyages.
Aztec Empire: A powerful Mesoamerican civilization conquered by Hernรกn Cortรฉs and his group of conquistadors in 1521.