The People of the Portuguese and Spanish Colonies in

AmericaBy: Josh KessnerHistory 140

Professor Arguello

Portuguese American - Damiana da Cunha

• Lived: Late 18th Century to Early 19th Century

•Colony: Sertanista

• Social Group: Caiapo Tribe

• Gender: Female

• Occupation: Community leader teaching the Aldeia lifestyle through church

Damiana da Cunha

•Played a big role in her community and was allowed to organize her own group of people in her beliefs. •Taught people how to follow her religious backgrounds that she acquired growing up•Mediated between local natives and new colonials•Damiana has a somewhat unclear history in terms of where she was located growing up, along with her initial marriage, but it is known how important he presence was to the surrounding villages.

Portuguese American – Antonio de Gouveia

• Lived: Born in 1528

• Colony: Azores

• Social Group: Christian Family

• Gender: Male

• Occupation: Azorean Priest

Antonio de Gouveia

•Antonio de Gouveia practiced and studied astrology, alchemy, captured Indian Slaves, set excavations for silver and gold all while being incorporated with a church.•Gouveia may have been shipwrecked off the coast of Barcelona, lost all of his belongings, but did not decease•Gouveia was also a practitioner of medicine, and this may have been the reason for him surviving his shipwreck•Antonio was seen by some as an amazing individual while others looked down upon him for all of his unconventional priestly activities.

Spanish American – Diego Vasicuio

• Lived: Around 1671• Colony: Peru• Social Group: Village of Salamanca• Gender: Male• Occupation: Leader of a group of Peruvian Indians in the beliefs of Sorimana

Diego Vasicuio

•Vasicuio was able to live for an incredible amount of years for the time he lived in (Over 90 years old)•Lead Indian groups in the beliefs of the old god Sorimana, which is the way he was brought up by his parents•Vasicuio was faced with charges of heresy which punishment involved carrying a cross through town or being whipped by the parish priests•To lead Father De Pedro away from his cult’s accusations, Diego misled him into believing that there was another cult practicing witchcraft in their religion.•After this had failed Diego may have deceived the Father once again in the destruction of Sorimana.

Spanish American – Miguel Hernandez

• Lived: Born in the 16h Century

• Colony: Mexico – New Spain

• Social Group: Born in Mexico City • Gender: Male

• Occupation: Muleteer

Miguel Hernandez

• Born during harsh times but was very persistent and had incredible drive eventually leading to his success•Became one of the leading citizens in Queretaro, the town that he moved to, with his multiple skills•Followed Spanish practices in economics and social lifestyle•Benefited trade and expansion with his freighting business• Created an extraordinary amount of wealth, became part of an exclusive group of Spaniards with the purchase of a slave. • Miguel had set his children up for success by allowing them to equally share his wealth

Spanish American – Enrico Martinez

• Lived: Born in Hamburg 1577 - 1632

•Colony: Mexico – New Spain

• Social Group: Spanish upper class

• Gender: Male

• Occupation: Cosmographer, interpreter, publisher, hydraulic engineer

Enrico Martinez

• Many people believed Enrico Martinez to be from various places• The family originated in Germany and later migrated to Seville• Martinez had a passion for astrology despite the fact that it was looked down upon by the church• He continued in his interest in astrology, especially the area of study that dealt with crops and tides• Martinez designed a drainage canal to help solve a silting problem in Lake Texcoco• Here he was appointed chief engineer, yet with his lack of experience, the project failed, partly due to corrosion

Spanish American – Isabel Moctezuma

• Lived: 1509-1550

• Colony: Aztec (Mexico – New Spain)

• Social Group: Daughter of the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II

• Gender: Female

• Occupation: Moctezuma’s legitimate Heir

Isabel Moctezuma

•Also known as Dona Isabel•Tecuichpotzin was Moctezuma’s real name•As a small child, Isabel was married to her third husband•Cortes included Isabel in his heir•Later, Cortes executed Cuauhtemoc and Tecuichpotzin was wodowed for the third time