Spanish California (0)

Spanish California
The fifteenth century saw the completion of the reconquest of Spain and the emergence of Ferdinand and Isabella as the rulers of an expansionist empire eager to spread Christianity to distant lands and increase the wealth and power of Spain in the process .. Immediately after Christopher Columbus 's discovery of the Americas in 1492, Spain began a series of expeditions into North , Central and South America. In 1519 Hernan Cortes began a campaign to conquer Tenochtitlan. It took several years but eventually he prevailed. The Aztec capital was razed to the ground and replaced by Mexico City. Mexico City quickly became the political / military center for most of Spain's possessions in North and Central America - what they were to call New Spain.
The conquistadores brought great wealth to the throne but they also posed potential political risks as they grew stronger. The Spanish monarchy sought to neutralize those risks. A royal judicial body , the audencia, reporting directly to the Spanish crown was created in Mexico City in 1527. .In 1535 Antonio de Mendoza was named the first viceroy of New Spain. The viceroy was the king 's representative and