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Golden Age of Spain. Conquistadors. - Hernando Cortes – 1519 – After colonizing several Caribbean islands, the Spanish turned their attention to the American mainland -Cortes marched inland looking to claim new land for Spain - Cortes and other explorers like him were known as conquistadors
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Conquistadors -Hernando Cortes – 1519 – After colonizing several Caribbean islands, the Spanish turned their attention to the American mainland -Cortes marched inland looking to claim new land for Spain -Cortes and other explorers like him were known as conquistadors -Aztec civilization – Cortes and his 600 men reached Tenochtitlan -Montezuma II thought Cortes was a god – he agreed to give Cortes a share of the empire’s existing gold supply – Cortes not satisfied -Despite being greatly outnumbered Cortes and his men defeated the Aztecs in 1521 – guns + help from Aztec enemies + diseases -Francisco Pizarro – 1530 -Inca civilization – 200 men vs. Inca ruler Atahualpa who had several thousand -Pizarro kidnapped Atahualpa who offered gold and silver for his release -After receiving the gold and silver Pizarro killed Atahualpa which demoralized the Incas -Pizarro marched to Cuzco, the Incan capital and took it without a struggle in 1533 -Spain’s Empire -Provided great wealth at first -Gold and silver -Viceroys ruled the Americas– appointed by the Kings
Charles V -Member of the Hapsburg family that controlled large areas of Europe -Holy Roman Emperor and Spanish King -Constant warfare to control his empire – religious wars -Spain’s economic situation began to worsen -Few industries -Lack of food production -Charles V decided to split his empire -Charles V retired to a monastery -Gave his brother, Ferdinand, Austria and the Holy Roman Empire - Phillip II, his son, takes over Spain
Philip II -1556-1598 - Devout Catholic leader – like his father -Wanted glory for Spain and to defend Catholicism -Philip is King in the middle of the Protestant Reformation and the Religious wars -1580 – King of Portugal dies with no heir and so Phillip II takes over Portugal -By 1600 – American mines supplied Spain with about 340,000 pounds of gold and 16,000 tons of silver -Spain’s great wealth led to what is referred to as the Golden Age of Spain -Netherlands- Part of Philip II’s empire -Dutch were excellent at sea and traders -Area of religious tolerance -Area of Protestant support that is unacceptable in his Catholic kingdom
Revolt and Defeat -Dutch revolt against Philip’s harsh rule -William of Orange leads the revolt -English Protestants help the Dutch resist -Queen Elizabeth I – leader of England at the time -She had supported those who rebelled against Phillip II -Phillip seeks to invade England and bring Catholicism back to all of Europe -Spanish Armada of 1588 -English had better guns – fired ten rounds for every one fired by the Spanish -Also made ships full of explosives and no crew and would send them out and let the Spanish blow them up causing a huge explosion -Could not defeat Protestant England -North part of Low Countries becomes independent of Spanish rule
Decline of Spain -Growing population -Decreasing riches from the colonies -Expulsion of Jews and Muslims – lost a lot of good business people and valuable artisans -High taxes and warfare -Severe inflation – decline in the value of money along with a rise in the prices of goods and services -Spain’s nobles did not have to pay taxes so the burden fell on the lower class -This kept them from making enough money to start their own business -Spain had borrowed so much money to fight these wars that when ships of gold and silver would come in they would have to ship it right back out -Growth of rivals
