Rise Of Spain In 1490

In 1469, there was the royal marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile united those two kingdoms, which eventually led to the creation of Spain. The last Muslim stronghold fell in the year 1492 from this moment onward; Spain’s history reached a period of economic and political profligacy which was accompanied by both international and civilian wars. According to a blog posted by Jose Martiniez, “the 19th century would mark an important part of Spanish history with the loss of important Spanish territories and the collapse of the Spanish Empire.” According to donquijote.org , the independence attained by Spanish territories in the “Americas, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, significantly shaped the world and modern Spanish history”. Although Spain is a relatively small territory located in southwestern Europe, the history of Spain is of grandeur and is strikingly different from that of the rest of the

During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was the dominant force in Western civilization. As the Dark Ages came to a close, the monarchies of Europe began to consolidate power; providing an alternative power base. With the Protestant Reformation came another blow to the influence of the Church. Spain, the forerunner in the Age of Discovery, was a fervently Catholic country. During the 16th century, the monarchy combined the forces of "cross and crown" in its imperial policy; much to the dismay and ultimate destruction of the indigenous peoples of the New World. Through an examination of Aztec polytheism and the Catholicism of the conquistadors, comes the central role of religion in the successful conquest of New Spain.

There are numerous connections between humans throughout the centuries. However, the most prevalent struggle that resonates with every century, every time period, and every generation is this; how to improve their economic and social status. The scuffle to jockey for a higher position is most dominant in Spain, during the conquest of America. During the few Centuries Spain was in control of the New World, every Spaniard struggled to improve his or her economic, or social status. The Americas lead to a new beginning for many who failed at life in Europe.

During Spain’s reign as the leading force in Europe, their social rise and fall materialized from religion and unity. Nationalism was important for most countries because it helped connect the people to their kingdom. Spain was no exception. As the soon-to-be empire began to explore, they conquered many individuals and places, such as the Aztecs or Incans. This instilled a sense of pride in the people of Spain. Because of victories in battles such as the Battle of Lepanto, in which the Spanish Empire defeated the Ottoman Empire, the Spanish united in the belief that their people were the greatest. They were also bound by their thoughts on Christianity and that they should be the ones to spread the religion. On the other hand, Spain’s empire was separated by religious tensions and the expulsion of other religions. Violence towards other religions was common in this time, and rulers such as Ferdinand and Isabella decided to rid their empire of the Jews and the Muslims. They began the Spanish

This lasted from 1516-1643 and made Spain the first modern European Empire. ‘The sun never sets under Spain’ was a popular saying which described how vast Spain was, due to the fact that its control extended through most of Europe. By looking at the image below, it is clear to see how large the empire grew and expanded during this period due to the merging of the Holy Roman Empire and the Iberian territories. The Golden Age of Spain brought wealth and prosperity to the Spanish Kingdom. Along with this wealth, there was a boom in literature and arts during this period. The Golden Age initiated by Spain was due to the “partial political unification of Spain about 1500. Its literature is characterized by patriotic and religious fervor” (Encyclopedia

When looking at Dutch success, I believe we first have to look at its geographical advantage, economic innovation, and its religion. The exponential growth and industrial output that the Dutch enjoyed came on the heel of prolonged industrial decline and when most European industries were failing. Unfortunately for Spain, there lay a significant geographical distance between themselves and the Dutch, making it difficult to keep control of the region. The low land geography of the Dutch Republic pushed for innovation to preserve and maintain their land from the sea through the construction of dikes, polders, drainage systems, and windmills. This also became advantageous in defending their region during their war with Spain because they were able

History of Spain (Cartoon): Celts and Iberians were the first settlers in the peninsula know today as Spain, contributing to the name “Iberian Peninsula”. Greeks and Phoenicians influenced the growing populations of the peninsula. The Romans were the next main conquerors of that land, and called the land Hispania. During the rule of the Romans, most of the borders of Spain and Europe were loosely established. In the 5th century, the Visigoths pushed out the Romans and settled in Spain. Muslims invaded during the 8th century. The country was founded as Spain in the 15th century. Spain was and is ruled as a monarchy. Spain was neutral in both world wars, usually due to a

During the early 16th and later 17th centuries,Spain was going through a loss in power. After Charles V died Philip II took over and he tried to take as much power as he could. The decline of Spain happened because Philip II was not interested in their needs. After Philip died Spain would never be as powerful or as great as it was during the reign of Philip II.

Mercantilism and Bullionism had both positive and negative effects on the economy of Spain and New Spain. I believe that the main positive effect was that mercantilism resulted in great wealth for rulers and merchants of various countries like Britain, France, and of course Spain. These countries began to exploit foreign lands and establishing trade relationships amongst others. With this new system, they were able to gain enough power to overthrow their current leaders and set up colonies. European leaders used their urge and excitement to create their own colonies. They did this by encouraging merchants to invest their capital wherever they though it necessary. These merchants truly benefited from this investment, since they were given exclusive

against him. The conquest ended in the downfall of Granada due to a siege and Spain was

Made peace with France. Spain’s economy lost drive and was no longer the greatest power in Europe.

The motivation and cause for Spanish expansion into the new world began with Christopher Columbus; a Genoese sailor with an impossible dream that had been influenced by Marco Polo’s journal to believe that Japan could be reached by a short sail directly westward. (484) His voyages touched the major Caribbean islands, Honduras, panama, and Venezuela claiming a new world for Spain; hence also established Spanish claims to the most of the western hemisphere with his historic voyages. (483) The Spanish colonial expansion means of conquest and motivation were influenced by two reasons. First, Spain wanted wealth; and knew that the new world would provide them with a great amount of wealth primarily through trade, and the rich resources in the land.

Given my Spanish roots, I felt compelled to write about the Roman conquest of Spain, and how Romans were later forced out of Spain by the Visigoths. Spain has been the center of attention many times throughout history, and Roman times were no exception. Spain’s riches convinced the Carthaginians to settle in and trade from Carthago Nova to Saguntum and, inevitably, caught the eye of Rome. It is because of its riches that Spain has been conquered many times, although, in the end, Spaniards have always prevailed. Romans, Moors, French; they all found Spanish delights irresistible, however, it was the Romans who impacted us the most.

This lasted until the reign of King Philip V. The War of the Spanish Succession ended with the defeat of Valencia in 1707, of Catalonia in 1714, and finally with the last of the islands in 1715 – resulting in the birth of modern-day Spain.

Spain 's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating Civil War (1936-39). In the second half of the 20th century, it has played a catch-up role in the western