This category examines the campaigns of Spanish conquistadors in the Americas—from Cortés in Mexico to Pizarro in Peru and beyond. The category also covers the wars of liberation that freed the Spanish colonies from their colonial masters. These studies use indigenous and Spanish sources, 16th-century maps, and on-the-ground investigation to understand how terrain, disease, technology, and cultural miscommunication shaped the conquest and resistance.
🪖 Museum Artefacts →
February 2020, Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley, Peru. I am exploring the site of a 1537 battle between Manco Inca’s indigenous forces and the Spanish Conquistadors under Hernando Pizarro. Part of the Spanish conquest of the New World.
The Battle of Sacsayhuamán was a significant milestone in the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. While the Inca warriors demonstrated bravery and tenacity, they were unable to overcome the superior weaponry and tactics of the Spanish conquistadors. The Spanish victory at Sacsayhuamán ended the Inca attempt to reclaim Cusco.