Final answer:
The claim in the excerpt refers to the hunger and death of 1,000 men, highlighting the challenges Spanish expeditions faced in the New World. The historical development illustrated is the early Spanish expeditions' struggles, such as food scarcity, diseases, and control over natives.
Step-by-step explanation:
(a) One claim made in the excerpt pertains to the hunger and death of 1,000 men. This details the hardships and challenges faced by Spanish soldiers during their expeditions in the New World. They dealt with the scarcity of food, which led to starvation and the consequent death of many men within the ranks of the Spanish expeditions.
(b) The historical development illustrated by the excerpt is the challenges of early Spanish expeditions. Specifically, it refers to the harsh conditions that the Spanish faced as they attempted to establish their colonial empire. Hunger, disease, and the struggle to assert control over the native populations and the land were some of the significant hurdles to the establishment of Spanish dominance in the New World.