Maritime Trade, Exploration, and the Habsburg Empire
Maritime Trade and Exploration
1. Trade with Eastern Europe traversed the Mediterranean, reaching Constantinople and crossing Central Asia. In 1459, the conquest of Constantinople forced the search for new sea routes.
2. African Route: Mariners reached the Azores, then the African coast to the Gulf of Guinea. Indian Route: Vasco da Gama led expeditions to the coast of India and the Spice Islands.
3. Christopher Columbus sought a route to the Spice Islands by sailing west across the Atlantic, avoiding Africa.
4. Columbus presented his project, and the Catholic Monarchs agreed. They signed the Surrender of Santa Fe, granting him the title of Admiral of the Ocean Sea, Viceroy of the discovered lands, and a tenth of all benefits.
Columbus’s Voyages
5. First Voyage: Cádiz, Canary Islands, Guanahani, other islands, Azores, Lisbon, and Bayonne. Second Voyage: Cádiz, Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, and further exploration. Third Voyage: Cádiz, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, and Trinidad. Fourth Voyage: Cádiz, Canary Islands, and Guadeloupe.
6. The Catholic Monarchs, at the Pope’s request, evangelized the areas discovered by Columbus. To avoid conflicts with Portugal, they signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing newly discovered lands along a line 370 leagues west of Cape Verde, assigning the west to Castile and the east to Portugal.
Navigational Tools
- Portolans: Detailed sea charts of ports and coasts.
- Compass: Indicated north, south, east, and west.
- Astrolabe: Used to determine altitude by matching star positions.
- Caravel: A strong, high ship.
The Habsburg Empire
9. The Habsburg family ruled from 1516 to 1556.
10. Joana the Crazy: Inherited Spain, Navarre, Aragon, the Americas, Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia. Philip the Fair: Inherited the Low Countries, Luxembourg, French counties, Austria, and Germany.
16th Century Economy and Demography
11. Economy: Agricultural production barely met the needs of the Hispanic kingdoms. Craft industries, especially textiles, saw increased demand, but faced foreign competition. Trade expanded, with France, Germany, and others occupying markets and distributing products throughout Europe. Demography: The population of the Hispanic kingdoms increased, with cities like Barcelona, Valencia, Valladolid, Seville, and Toledo exceeding 30,000 inhabitants.
Religious and Political Conflicts
12. The Moors, Spanish Muslims, were forbidden to use their language, clothing, and customs. King Philip II persecuted them, leading to the Alpujarras rebellion. After three years of fighting, 80,000 Moors were displaced.
13. The Count-Duke of Olivares sought to maintain Habsburg hegemony in Europe, engaging in wars that consumed resources and impoverished Castile. His attempts to raise taxes led to the 1640 uprisings. Peace with France in 1659 meant the loss of Cerdanya.
14. The 1640 uprisings marked the end of the Habsburg Monarchy.
The Role of Válidos
15. Philip III and his successors delegated governmental tasks to válidos, or ministers.
The Alpujarras Insurrection: A three-year struggle that resulted in the displacement of 80,000 Moors.