Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella marked a pivotal moment in European history. The Catholic Monarchs united their kingdoms, creating a powerful centralized state that would shape the continent for centuries to come.
Their reign saw the completion of the Reconquista, the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition, and the beginning of Spain's overseas empire. These events set the stage for Spain's rise as a dominant European power and its future role in the Age of Exploration.
The Catholic Monarchs
Unification and Consolidation of Power
- Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile married in 1469, uniting their kingdoms and establishing a strong central government
- The Catholic Monarchs worked to consolidate their power by reducing the influence of the nobility and the Cortes (parliament)
- They revoked fueros (regional privileges) and appointed officials loyal to the crown to key positions in the government and military
- The monarchs also supported the Hermandad (brotherhood), a military force that maintained order and suppressed crime throughout the kingdom
Religious Policies and the Spanish Inquisition
- Ferdinand and Isabella were devout Catholics and sought to create religious unity in their kingdoms
- They completed the Reconquista in 1492, conquering the last Muslim stronghold of Granada and ending nearly eight centuries of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula
- The Spanish Inquisition was established in 1478 to root out heresy and enforce religious orthodoxy
- The Inquisition targeted conversos (Jewish converts to Christianity) and moriscos (Muslim converts to Christianity), often subjecting them to torture and execution
- The Inquisition also censored books and ideas deemed contrary to Catholic teachings
- In 1492, the Catholic Monarchs issued the Alhambra Decree, expelling all Jews who refused to convert to Christianity from their kingdoms (Sephardic Jews)
- Muslims were initially allowed to remain in the kingdom, but they faced increasing persecution and were eventually expelled in 1502 (Moriscos)
Exploration and Expansion
Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of the New World
- The Catholic Monarchs sponsored Christopher Columbus's voyages to find a westward route to Asia
- Columbus landed in the Caribbean in 1492, mistakenly believing he had reached the East Indies
- The discovery of the New World opened up new opportunities for Spanish exploration, colonization, and trade
- Spain established a vast colonial empire in the Americas, including territories in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America (New Spain, Peru)
- The Spanish Empire became a major source of wealth for the crown, primarily through the extraction of precious metals (gold, silver) and the establishment of the encomienda system, which exploited indigenous labor
The Habsburg Dynasty
The Rise of the Habsburgs in Spain
- The Habsburg dynasty came to power in Spain through the marriage of Joanna of Castile (daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella) to Philip the Handsome of the Habsburg family
- Charles V, the son of Joanna and Philip, inherited a vast empire that included Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, and the Holy Roman Empire
- Under Charles V, Spain became the dominant power in Europe and the defender of Catholicism against the Protestant Reformation
Philip II and the Golden Age of Spain
- Philip II, the son of Charles V, inherited the Spanish throne in 1556 and continued to expand Spain's power and influence
- Philip II's reign marked the Golden Age of Spain, characterized by cultural and artistic achievements (El Greco, Cervantes)
- Philip II was a staunch defender of Catholicism and fought against the spread of Protestantism in Europe
- He supported the Catholic League in the French Wars of Religion and sent the Spanish Armada against England in 1588
- The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked a turning point in Spain's naval supremacy and the beginning of its decline as a major European power
- Philip II also faced challenges in his vast empire, including the Dutch Revolt in the Netherlands and the Morisco Rebellion in Spain