THE REIGN OF THE CATHOLIC MONARCHS Although the Kingdoms of Castilla and Aragon were jointly governed by the Catholic Monarchs, each kingdom maintained its own laws and institutions. The Catholic Monarchs wanted to increase their territories. In 1492 they conquered the Kingdom of Granada and in 1512 the crown of Castille annexed the kingdom of Navarra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0VzwouEFeg But perhaps the most important of all their efforts came in 1492 when the Catholic Monarchs gave Christopher Columbus (he was an Italian explorer) money for his expedition to Asia. In return, he promised to bring back gold, spices and silk, promote Cristianity and to later lead an expedition to China. Most navigators sailed east around the south coast of Africa to get to Asia. However, Columbus decided to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean. Page 1 On 3 August 1492, the tree caravels La Pinta, La Niña and La Santa Maria left Palos de la Frontera in Huelva. They arrived in San Salvador, an Island in the Americas, on 12 October 1492. They took gold, spices and parrots back to Spain for the Catholic Monarcs. Columbus thought he had arrived in Asia and called the people living there Indiands. ECONOMIC EFFECTS Thanks to its naval exploration, Spain became one of the most powerful countries in Europe. They discover different products and develop trading infrastructure. Spain began trading with the Americas, and imported goods such as gold, silvers, fruit, vegetables, cocoa, and vanilla. Spain exported goods such as cloth, wood and leather, and exported foods like flour and cereals. Page 2 But...why the new continent was named America? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ During the Early Modern Age, many European explorers made voyages to distant places. They discovered and conquered new lands and peoples. For this reason, this period is called the Age of Discovery. The conquistadors were Spanish explorers who conquered lands that became part of the Spanish Empire. He landed on the Caribbean islands of San Salvador and Hispaniola. He discovered America, but he believed he was in Asia. Columbus made three more voyages after that. 3 Christopher Columbus Page 1492 1519 Ferdinand Magellan He was the first person to sail across the… 1522 Juan Sebastián Elcano He took over Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition. He arrived in Spain in 1522 and became the first person to sail… 1519 Hernán Cortés He went to Mexico and travelled to the Aztec capital. The Aztec king, Montezuma, gave him gifts. But Cortés captured the king and conquered the Aztecs. He founded… 1532 Francisco Pizarro He went to… Page 4 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES In the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain was ruled by the Hapsburg dynasty. Carlos I and Felipe II were the most important Hapsburg kings. During their reigns, Spain became an enormous international empire. King Carlos I, the grandson of the Catholic Monarchs, became the king of Spain in 1516. During this period France became Spain’s main rival for power in Europe. As a result, there were many battles between France and Spain. King Carlos I also fought the Turks. They wanted to control the Mediterranean. Finally, Carlos I decided to abandon the throne and he divided his empire between his brother and his son Felipe II. In 1556 Felipe II became ruler of the largest empire of its time. He defeated France but the conflict between the two countries reappeared at the end of his reign. In 1571, he defeated the Turks at the battle of Lepanto. All of these wars had enormous costs. The Spanish population became poorer when the price of certain products went up, and the quantity of metals coming from Americas went down. Page 5 In the 17th century, after the death of Felipe II in 1598, the Spanish Empire weakened and began to break up. The kings of the 17th century (Hapsburg kings) were Felipe III, Felipe IV and Carlos II. They were less powerful and less successful than Carlos I and Felipe II. During the period of the Catholic Monarchs and the Hapsburg dynasty, new artistic styles appeared in Europe: the Renaissance and the Baroque style. The 16th and 17th centuries, is a period of flourishing in arts and literature in Spain. There were many great artists and writers in Spain, so this period is known as the Golden Age. The war of succession In 1700, King Carlos II died without leaving a successor. There were two candidates to succeed to the throne: the Archduke Charles from Germany, and Philip of Anjou from France. Each European country supported one or the other depending on its own interests. Spain was also divided: Castile supported Philip whilst Aragon supported Charles. These conflicts prompted the War of Succession. This was both an international war and a civil war. The war of succession ended in 1713 with the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht. This recognised the triumph of Philip of Anjou, who became King Felipe V (de Borbón). 18TH CENTURY The Bourbons In the 18th century Spain was ruled by the Bourbon dynasty. Felipe V, Fernando VI, Carlos III and Carlos IV made many reforms. Felipe V established a new form of government, an absolute monarchy. This means the king controls all the powers of the state. He eliminated many local laws and institutions. They were replaced by new laws and institutions for the whole kingdom. Felipe V also divided Spain into provinces. Carlos III ruled Spain in the second half of the 18th century. He made many changes to improve the country and the lives of the Spanish people. He introduced projects to modernise the country. For example, he improved the road system and the cities, and built canals. Write a change made by. 6 CARLOS III Page FELIPE V Page 7 The end of the Modern Age Throughout the 18th century Great Britain and Portugal wanted Spain to give up its monopoly on the colonies in the Americas, so that they could trade with them too. As a result of this conflict there were various wars between Spain and this countries. Wars had enormous costs. To pay for them, kings raised taxes. This made Spanish people poorer. In 1808, the Riot of Aranjuez forced Carlos IV to abdicate. His son became the next king, Fernando VII.
