The Spanish Empire

Hist 140 Theme 3 Part 2Summer 2011By: Le Thi My Ho

The Spanish Empire Consisted of the territories and colonies

administered directly by Spain in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania

Originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires

Christopher Columbus commanded the first Spanish Exploratory Voyage west across the Atlantic Ocean, leading to the Discovery of America, the New World

In the 16th century, Spain settled the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean, and took over large areas on mainland North and South America overrunning the Aztecs and Incas

The Spanish Empire

 In 1741, a massive victory over Britain at the Battle of Cartagena de Indies in modern day Colombia prolonged Spain's hegemony in the Americas until the 19th century.

During the late 18th century, Spanish expeditions to the Pacific Northwest reached Canada and Alaska, resulting in a settlement on Vancouver Island and the discovery of several archipelagos and glaciers

The remainder of Spain's empire, namely Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Spanish East Indies, continued under Spanish control until the end of the 19th century, when most of these territories were annexed by the United States after the Spanish-American War

Reconquista Major Dates

711: The Muslim conquered Iberia 718: Moorish Islamic conquered almost all of the Iberian Peninsula, the Pyrenees,

and part of today's southern France 722:Battle of Covadonga in the north-west of Iberia. The Christian Reconquista

begins. 739: Moorish Garrison driven out of Galicia by Asturian-Galician forces 800: The Franks complete the reconquest of all of today's southern French territory

and the Pyrenees and establish the Spanish March 801: The Franks reconquer Barcelona 914: Completion of the reconquest of the north-west. Muslims briefly retook

Barcelona. 1085: Toledo reconquered by Castilian forces 1236: Half of Iberia reconquered by the Christians. Cadiz seized by Castilian forces 1249: King Afonso III of Portugal takes Faro (in the Algarve), ending the Portuguese

part of the Reconquista in 1250. The Emirate of Granada remains the only Muslim state in Iberia

1300s and 1400s: Marinid Muslims seize control of some towns on the southern coast but are soon driven out

1492: Treaty of Granada completes the Reconquista

Spanish “Golden Age” “Siglo de Oro”

Era of The 16th and 17th Centuries 1519 King Charles V elected as sovereign of

the Holy Roman Empire Charles V became the most powerful man in

Europe, his rule stretching over an empire in Europe unrivalled in extent until the Napoleonic era

“The empire on which the sun never set”

Hasburg Spain

The Habsburg dynasty spent the Castilian and American riches in wars across Europe on behalf of Habsburg interests, defaulted on their debt several times, and left Spain bankrupt several times

The silver and gold whose circulation helped facilitate the economic and social revolutions in the Low Countries, France and England and other parts of Europe helped stifle them in Spain

Charles's involvement in Germany would establish a role for Spain as protector of the Catholic, Habsburg cause in the Holy Roman Empire; the precedent would lead, seven decades later, to involvement in the war that would decisively end Spain as Europe's leading power

Hasburgs’ Political Goals Access to the resources of the Americas (gold, silver, sugar) and

products of Asia (porcelain, spices, silk) Undermining the power of France and containing it in its eastern

borders Maintaining Catholic Habsburg hegemony in Germany, defending

Catholicism against the Protestant Reformation Defending Europe against Islam, notably the Ottoman Empire To spread religion to the unconverted souls of the new world. With

conflict between Catholics and Protestants raging in Europe, the new world was an ideal place for more Catholics to be recruited