<P> Between 1537 and 1543, six Spanish expeditions entered highland Colombia, conquered the Muisca Confederation, and set up the New Kingdom of Granada (Spanish: Nuevo Reino de Granada). Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada was the leading conquistador with his brother Hernán second in command . It was governed by the president of the Audiencia of Bogotá, and comprised an area corresponding mainly to modern - day Colombia and parts of Venezuela . The conquistadors originally organized it as a captaincy general within the Viceroyalty of Peru . The crown established the audiencia in 1549 . Ultimately, the kingdom became part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada first in 1717 and permanently in 1739 . After several attempts to set up independent states in the 1810s, the kingdom and the viceroyalty ceased to exist altogether in 1819 with the establishment of Gran Colombia . </P> <P> Spain's administration of its colonies in the Americas was divided into the Viceroyalty of New Spain 1535 (capital, México City), and the Viceroyalty of Peru 1542 (capital, Lima). In the 18th century the additional Viceroyalty of New Granada 1717 (capital, Bogotá), and Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata 1776 (capital, Buenos Aires) were established from portions of the Viceroyalty of Peru . </P> <P> This evolved from the Council of the Indies and Viceroyalties into an Intendant system, raise more revenue and promote greater efficiency . </P> <Ul> <Li> Viceroyalty of New Spain (1535--1821) <Ul> <Li> Las Californias </Li> <Li> Nuevo Reino de León </Li> <Li> Nuevo Santander </Li> <Li> Nueva Vizcaya </Li> <Li> Santa Fe de Nuevo México </Li> <Li> Nueva Extremadura </Li> <Li> Nueva Galicia </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> Captaincy General of the Philippines (administered by New Spain from 1565 to 1821, then after Mexican independence transferred to and directly administered by Madrid until 1898) </Li> <Li> Captaincy General of Cuba (until 1898)--Included in this captaincy general until 1819 was La Florida, Spain's North American colonies in what is now the southeastern United States . </Li> <Li> Captaincy General of Puerto Rico (until 1898) </Li> <Li> Santo Domingo (last Spanish rule 1861--1865) </Li> <Li> Captaincy General of Guatemala </Li> </Ul>

What motivated the spaniards and conquistadors to explore the americas