History Unit 2.

Start of the modern age in Spain and America.

1. The reign of the Catholic Monarchs.
 Catholic Monarchs: took the 1st steps towards the Spanish hegemony in Europe
(consolidated in the 16th century by Carlos I and Felipe II)

o 1469: marriage between Isabel I of Castilla and Fernando II of Aragon.

o Isabel proclaimed herself Queen of Castilla in 1474 when her brother

(Enrique IV) died and consolidated her position in 1479 (treaty of
Alcaçovas  end war against Juana la Beltraneja: Castilla for Isabel and
hegemony in the Atlantic for Portugal)

o Fernando became king of Aragon in 1479 when his father (Juan II) died.

o 1479: dynastic union of Castilla and Aragon.

 Each had their own institutions, laws, currencies…

 They only had in common the monarchs and some common

aims.

1.1. Achievements of the Catholic Monarchs that strengthened the

state.
1.1.1. Territorial unity.
 Annexation of Granada (1492) and Navarra (1512)
 Preparation of a future union with Portugal through marriages alliances (not
effective until 1580 with Felipe II)

1.1.2. Religious unity.

 Creation of the Tribunal of the Inquisition.
 Jews (1492) and Muslims (1502) forced to convert to Christianity or live.

1.1.3. Strong foreign policies.

To conquer territories and enlarge their dominions.

 Castilla: territories in Africa and America and the Canary Islands.

 Aragon : Roussillon, Cerdanya, Naples, Sicily, Sardania.

Their strong foreign policies set the foundations of the Spanish Empire.

1.1.4. Establishment of an authoritarian monarchy.

 Imposed their authority…
o Reducing power of nobles (no armies), clergy (bishops appointed by
kings) and autonomy of cities (Corregidores)
o Summoning the Cortes as little as possible.
 Improved the administration
o Creating Councils (made up of experts in different topic chosen by the
king) to advise him.
 o Collecting taxes regularly.
o Organizing a professional army and creating la Santa Hermandad
(police for the countryside)

Isabel and Fernando reigned together until her death in 1504. From that year onwards.

 Aragon: continued to be ruled by the king Fernando.

 Castilla: ruled by Juana la Loca and Felipe el Hermoso. When Felipe died
(1506), Juana was declared mentally ill and confined in Tordesillas, and her
father Fernando ruled Castilla in her name until he died (1516).

2. The Hispanic Monarchy.

The reign of the two first Habsburgs (Carlos I and Felipe II) meant the hegemony of
Spain it became the most powerful country in Europe with dominions all over the
world.

2.1. Carlos I of Spain and V of Germany.

 1516: became king of Spain when his maternal grandfather died.

 1520: became German Emperor when his paternal grandfather died.

2.1.1. Inheritance of Carlos I/V.

 From his maternal grandmother (Isabel I of Castilla) Castilla, Navarra, new
territories in Africa and America
 From his maternal grandfather (Fernando II of Aragon) Aragon, Naples, Sicily,
Sardania and the Roussillon.
 From his paternal grandmother (Maria of Borgoña) Low Countries (Flanders)
and the Franco Condado.
 From his paternal grandfather (Maximiliano I of Austria) territories in Austria
and the title of German Emperor.

2.1.2. Internal Conflicts.

 When he arrived in Spain (1517), he was seen as a foreigner.
o Born and raised in the Low Countries.
o Couldn’t speak Spanish.
o Chose Flemish councilors for high posts, instead of Spaniards.
o Increased taxes to finance foreign issues.
 1520-21: the discomfort with the new foreigner king led to 2 revolts.
o Castilla: Comuneros’ Revolt.
o Aragon: Germanias’ Revolt.

2.1.3. External Conflicts.

Carlos I was in constant war against…

 France: which was surrounded by Habsburg’s territories. They fought over

control of Italy Carlos I annexed Milan.
 The Turks: who were a threat in Central Europe and the Mediterranean 
Carlos I annexed Tunez.
  The protestants: some German princes converted to Lutheranism, and
demanded autonomy from Carlos I After many years fighting, Carlos I
recognized religious freedom in Germany (Peace of Augsburg 1555)

1556: tired of so many conflicts, Carlos I abdicated the throne and retired to
Extremadura (Monastery of Yuste) where he died in 1558.

 The Spanish Empire: to his son Felipe II.

 German Empire: to his brother Fernando.

2.2. Felipe II.

 1556: inherited the Spanish Empire (Spain, Spanish territories in America, the
Low countries, Naples, Sicily…)
Since he wasn’t the German Emperor, he governed in Spain’s benefit. To do so,
he established a permanent court in Madrid which became the capital of Spain.

2.2.1. Internal Conflicts.

 1568: Revolt of the Moriscos (“Revuelta de las Alpajuarras”) in Granada.
o Cause: the “Pragmatic Sanction” that pressured the Moriscos (Muslims
converted to Christianity) to abandon their culture:
 Forbid Arab culture (language, clothes, music, baths, names…)
 Forced them to learn Spanish.
o Consequence:
 Felipe II put an end to the revolt.
 The Moriscos who survived were dispersed to other cities of
Spain to avoid new revolts.

2.2.2. External Conflicts.

Felipe II was also in constant war against…

 France: the French invaded Naples, so the Spanish army in the Low Countries
counterattacked invading France. The French were decisively defeated in the
Battle of San Quintin (1557)
 The Turks (The Ottoman Empire): Felipe II allied with Venice and the Pope
and formed a fleet (Holly league) which defeated the Turks at the Battle of
Lepanto (1571)
 The protestants in the Low Countries: Felipe II, seen as a foreigner by the
Flemish (born in Spain) + expansion of Protestantism  Flemish rebelled
demanding autonomy. The northern low countries declared themselves
independent forming the United Provinces (1579) but the war continue until
1648. (the southern regions remained loyal)
 England: due to the English support to the Dutch, English piracy against that
came from America and Anglicanism. Felipe II planned the invasion of England
by sending the “Armada Invencible”  Spain’s major defeat (bad weather)
 Annexation of Portugal (1580)

1598: he died in the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (He built it after defeating
France in the Battle of San Quintin, it has this name as the monastery has the shape of a
grill and San Lorenzo was burned to death in a grill) being succeeded by his son Felipe
III.

3. Spanish Conquest.
3.1. Characteristics.
 Very quick.
o 1519 – 1558.
o Due to superior weapons.
o Conquistadors were seen as gods.
 Believed religious prophecies by the indigenous people.
 Conquistadors were a mercenary army.
o It was not very large.
o Low ranking noble families (commoners who wanted to be reach)
 Based on capitulations.
o Concessions granted by the crown to the captain of the expedition.
o Crown paid for the expeditions.
o Captains received instructions from the crown based on how to carry on
their expeditions.

3.2. First phase.

3.2.1. Hernán Cortés.
 Reached Mexico in 1519.
 Year the Aztecs expected the return of their god.
 Their leader was taken by Cortés.
 Took two years for Cortés to conquer the capital (1521)
 Controlled the territory.

3.2.2. Francisco Pizarro.

 Reached Peru in 1531.
 He killed Inca leader in 1532 (beheading)
 He took advantage of the disputes between the indigenous people.
 He conquered Cuzco in 1533 (capital)
 Incas identified Pizarro as one of their gods.

3.3. Second phase.

 The rest of South America was conquered (except Brazil)
 Next Central America (Mayan 1546)
 South parts of the United States (California, Philippines, Texas, Florida; 1571)

4. Definitions.
 Audiencias: act in which an authority in councils let people to talk with it to
expose, claim or request something in order to administrate justice.
 Mita: system of a paid forced labour carried out by the indigenous population.
 Encomienda: feudal type system by which land was worked by indigenous
people.
 Casa de Contratación: method by which trade and navigation was controlled.
Ships had to register before deporting for and arriving from their destination.