Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • 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 Hernán Cortés and his group of conquistadors in 1521.