Spanish Empire Timeline

Timeline

1492 - 1493
First Voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World in three ships in an attempt to establish maritime trade routes to the East.
1494
A Spanish settlement is founded at La Isabela on the island of Hispaniola.
7 Jun 1494
Portugal and Spain sign the Treaty of Tordesillas which divides the world into two spheres of influence.
1498
The Spanish settlement of Santo Domingo on Hispaniola is founded.
1502
The encomienda system is first applied to the Americas on the island of Hispaniola.
1503
The use of the system of encomienda in the Spanish Empire receives approval from the Spanish monarchy.
1508
The Spanish first settle on Puerto Rico.
1510
The Spanish found Nombre de Dios in Panama.
1511 - 1513
Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar conducts the Spanish conquest of Cuba.
1511
The Spanish first settle on Cuba.
1511
The audiencia is formed in Santo Domingo, the first in the Spanish empire.
1512
The Laws of Burgos set out how indigenous peoples should be treated within the Spanish Empire.
1513
The jurist Juan López de Palacios Rubios is tasked with drafting the Spanish Requirement.
Mar 1513 - Apr 1513
Juan Ponce de León lands in Florida, the first documented European to do so.
Jun 1513
Juan Ponce de León discovers the Tortugas and the Gulf Stream.
19 Jun 1513
The notary Rodrigo de Colmemares reads out the Spanish Requirement for the first time to indigenous people in Colombia.
Mar 1518
Charles I of Spain formally accepts the proposal of Ferdinand Magellan to sail to Asia via the Americas.
Apr 1518
Juan de Grijalva leads an expedition to explore the eastern coast of Mexico.
1519
The Spanish found the city of Panama.
1519
Veracruz, Mexico is founded by Hernán Cortés.
Nov 1519
Motecuhzoma II receives Hernán Cortés at the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan.
c. 1520 - 1789
Spanish treasure fleets transport the riches of the Americas to Spain.
30 Jun 1520
The bloody retreat of Hernán Cortés from Tenochtitlan known as the Noche Triste ('Sad Night').
1521
Juan Ponce de León leads a second expedition to Florida to found a Spanish colony. His party is attacked and he dies of his wounds in Cuba.
13 Aug 1521
The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan falls into the hands of Spanish forces led by Hernán Cortés.
1522
Jean de Fleury (aka Florin) captures three Spanish treasure ships off Cape Vincent.
May 1523
Hernán Cortés is appointed the first governor of the colony of New Spain (Mexico).
1524 - 1834
The Council of the Indies governs Spanish territories in the Americas.
1524 - 1525
Francisco Pizarro leads his first voyage of exploration to South America.
Aug 1524
The Council of the Indies is formed to govern Spanish colonies in the Americas.
1526
Francisco Pizarro leads his second voyage of exploration to South America.
1527
The audiencia is formed in Mexico City (formerly Tenochtitlan).
Jul 1529
Francisco Pizarro receives royal backing to explore South America.
c. 1530
The first Spanish galleons come into operation.
Dec 1530
Francisco Pizarro leaves Panama for his thrid voyage of exploration to South America.
1532
Francsico Pizarro and the Spanish conquistadors arrive in South America.
15 Nov 1532
Hernando de Soto reads out the Spanish Requirement to the Inca ruler Atahualpa.
16 Nov 1532
Battle of Cajamarca where the Inca leader Atahualpa is captured and held for ransom by Spanish forces led by Francisco Pizarro.
15 Nov 1533
Francisco Pizarro takes the Inca capital of Cuzco.
1535
Don Antonio de Mendoza is made the first viceroy of New Spain (Mexico and Central America).
18 Jan 1535
Francsico Pizarro founds Lima (Ciudad de Los Reyes) as the capital of Spanish Peru.
Jul 1535
Diego de Almagro leads a 20-month long expedition to explore Chile.
6 May 1536
An Inca army led by Manco Inca attackes the Spanish conquistadors in Cusco.
1542
The New Laws unsuccessfully attempt to reduce the application of the encomienda system in the Spanish Empire.
1543
The Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru (the former Inca territory) is established.
Aug 1550
The Valladolid debate between Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda and Bartolomé de Las Casas on how indigenous peoples in the Spanish Americas should be treated.
1555
Captain-General Pedro Menendez de Avilés begins a system of large and escorted convoys for the Spanish treasure fleets.
Jul 1555
The French privateer Jacques de Sores brutally attacks Havana.
1565 - 1815
The Manila galleons each year take eastern trade goods from Manila to Acapulco (and return with American silver).
1572 - 1573
Francis Drake explores Panama and seizes a Spanish silver mule train.
1573
Spanish royal regulations are issued on town planning in Spanish America.
1573
Philip II of Spain prohibits the application of the encomienda system in any new territories of the Spanish Empire.
c. 1575 - 1820
The repartimiento system of forced labour is practised in the Spanish Empire.
Mar 1579
Francis Drake captures the Spanish treasure ship Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (aka Cacafuego).
1596
Portobelo replaces Nombre de Dios as the chief Atlantic port in Panama.
1599
Dutch ships begin to take salt from Araya on the coast of Venezuela.
1620 - 1697
Buccaneers operate in the Caribbean and attack both ports and ships along the Spanish Main.
1622
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha Spanish treasure ship is wrecked in a storm off the Florida Keys.
Sep 1628
A Dutch force led by Admiral Hein captures the entire New Spain treasure fleet on its way to Havana.
Apr 1669
A buccaneer force led by Henry Morgan captures the port of Maracaibo. on the Spanish Main.
1681
The Nuestra Señora de Encarnación Spanish treasure ship is wrecked in a storm off the coast of Panama.
1697
The conquest of the Maya Civilization completed by the Spanish conquistador Martín de Ursúa.
c. 1700
The encomienda system goes into decline in most parts of the Spanish Empire.
1714
The military responsibilities of the Council of the Indies are transferred to the Spanish Ministry of the Navy and the Indies.
1739
The Spanish Viceroyalty of New Granada (Venezuela and Colombia) is established.
1763
The Treaty of Paris sees Spain cede Florida to Britain.
1800
Louisiana is ceded to France by the Spanish.