by Strong Americas | Jul 29, 2026
Spanish settlement along the Caribbean coast of present-day Colombia began in the early sixteenth century, with Santa Marta founded in 1525 and Cartagena in 1533, giving Spain a secure foothold from which to push into the interior. In 1536, the conquistador Gonzalo...
by Strong Americas | Jul 29, 2026
Spanish forces began raiding the region of present-day Chile in the 1530s, and the conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago in 1541, establishing the base from which Spain organized its rule. Chile remained a colony of the Spanish Empire from this period until...
by Strong Americas | Jul 29, 2026
France established a permanent presence in what is now Canada beginning in 1608, when Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec along the Saint Lawrence River. The colony, known as New France, grew slowly and depended heavily on the fur trade, though settlers also developed...
by Strong Americas | Jul 29, 2026
Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral landed on the Brazilian coast in 1500 and claimed the territory for the Portuguese crown, though the region’s earliest years brought little formal settlement. Initial European interest centered on brazilwood, a tree...
by Strong Americas | Jul 29, 2026
Spanish forces expanding from their base in Peru pushed into the Andean highlands during the 1530s, a region they called Alto Peru, encountering communities that had previously formed part of the Inca Empire. Conquistadors including Diego de Almagro established early...
