THE CATHOLIC MONARCHS

SPAIN IN 1492

SPAIN IN 1492

• The Early Modern Age in Spain began with Isabel I Fernando II.

• They conquered the Kingdom of Granada (The Reconquista).

• Later on they expanded their territories: Kingdom of Navarra and Canary Island.

Reforms:• Power was centralised: army, economy

and government.• No privileges for the nobility and the

Church.• They built a strong, modern army to fight

enemies.• Time to expand and explore.• Spanish Inquisi t ion to punish people

who didn’t follow the Catholic Church’s rules.

The “discovery” of America

• The Catholic Monarchs sponsored C. Columbus’s trip to find a new route to India and China.

• It was a period of expansion and exploration.• They found small tribes and big empires when

they arrived in America: The Mayas, Aztecs, Incas…

• The Spanish expeditions imposed their language, religion and customs.

• Spanish ports, such as Sevilla, grew in importance as a result of a greater demand for ships.

• Spain exported goods so craftspeople and farmers became richer.

• Spain imported many products from America(important raw material were gold and silver). This made Spain the most powerful country in Europe.

Religion = Intolerance

• Jews and Muslims lived with Christians peacefully. Both shared kwnoledge about Science, music and literature.

• Isabel and Fernando ordered them to convert to the Catholic religion =moriscos.

• Otherwise, they were expelled = Inquisition.

Social structure

• From the 15th century to 18th century, social structure was based on status and wealth.

• Society was divided between the privileged class and the unprivileged class. = Hierarchical society.

• Privileged class: monarch, nobles and clergy.• Unprivileged class: middle class (merchants,

lawyers…) and lower class (peasants, poor people).

Social structure

The Spanish Empire

• Throughout the 16th century, Carlos I and Felipe I, descendants of the Catholic Monarchs, ruled the most powerful empire in the world, with territories in Africa, America, Asia and Europe.

The Empire of Carlos I

• Carlos I, was son of Juana, Isabel's second daughter, and Felipe the Handsome,the son of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I.

• Carlos I became king in 1516.

• He was the first Spanish king of the Habsburg dynasty.

• He ruled Spain and its territories in America.

• He also inherited the German Empire from his father´s family (he was also called Carlos V of Germany).

• Before he died, he divided his empire in two kingdoms: the German Empire to his brother Fernando and the Spanish Empire (included the Netherlands) to his son Felipe II .

The Empire of Felipe II

• Felipe II became king in 1556.

• The Spanish empire expanded under his reign, especially in America.

• In 1580, Felipe II conquered Portugal which included the Portuguese territories in America, Africa and Asia.

• The reign of Felipe II was also a period of wars and conflicts.

• Felipe II´s armies won many important battles on land and at sea.

• In 1571, in the Battle of Lepanto, the Spanish fleet stopped the Turkish Empire from taking control of the Mediterranean Sea.

• These wars were very expensive, so the price of products increased and the Spanish population became poorer.

• Problems in the 16th century:

- Controlling the new territories in America.

- Internal revolts in Spain.

- Wars in Europe.

- War against the Turks.