Spain’s rapid expansion into South America followed the consolidation of its Caribbean footholds by 1512, marking a decisive shift from exploration to imperial conquest. Under the reign of Ferdinand II of Aragon (reign1479–1516) and later Charles I of Spain (reign 1516–1556; Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, reign 1519–1556), the Spanish Crown sanctioned expeditions driven by the search for precious metals, Christian evangelization, and dynastic competition with other European powers. Within a generation, military ventures, often small in number but strategically opportunistic, toppled large indigenous polities, reshaping political authority across the continent. The conquest unfolded unevenly, shaped by local alliances, epidemic disease, internal divisions within native empires, and the integration of new territories into Spain’s transatlantic imperial system.
Francisco Pizarro (c. 1471–1541) led the overthrow of the Inca state between 1532 and 1533 during the reign of Charles I, establishing Spanish control over the Andean heartlands. Subsequent campaigns by Diego de Almagro (c. 1475–1538) and Pedro de Valdivia (c. 1497–1553) extended Spanish authority into Chile, while Sebastián de Belalcázar (c. 1480–1551) consolidated control in present-day Ecuador and Colombia. Exploratory expeditions by Francisco de Orellana (1511–1546), who navigated the Amazon River in 1541–1542, and later ventures associated with Pedro de Ursúa (1526–1561), expanded geographic knowledge of the interior. By the mid-16th century, these campaigns had produced the Viceroyalty of Peru (est. 1542) and laid the administrative and economic foundations of Spain’s South American empire, embedding the region within global trade networks centered on silver extraction and Atlantic commerce.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2026, February 09). Map of the Spanish Conquest & Exploration in South America. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16275/map-of-the-spanish-conquest--exploration-in-south/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Spanish Conquest & Exploration in South America." World History Encyclopedia, February 09, 2026. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16275/map-of-the-spanish-conquest--exploration-in-south/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Spanish Conquest & Exploration in South America." World History Encyclopedia, 09 Feb 2026, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16275/map-of-the-spanish-conquest--exploration-in-south/.
