Spanish California
fifth." The individual soldiers that conquered New Spain sought personal
gain initially in the form of plunder and later in the form of encomiendas.
An encomiendero was a person who was granted authority over a tract of
land and all of the people living on it. The encomiendero was responsible
for the welfare of the people under his charge and, in return, the people in
the encomienda were required to provide him with tribute and free labor.
The encomienderos, akin to feudal lords, quickly became an important
element in the political life of New Spain.
Spain's northwestern most colony was California, claimed first by Juan
Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. Several early Spanish conquistadores looked
seriously at California as a possible source of treasure, but none was found
and Spain's attention quickly shifted elsewhere. In 1565 Miguel de Salcedo
added the Philippine Islands to Spain's empire and a brief thought was
annaabi.ee 
