Spain: 15th-18th Centuries
Isabella I of Castile (1454-1504)
Isabella and Ferdinand ushered in the modern state. With them, especially, the Reconquista began the road to territorial unity and the monarchy became authoritarian. Their political objective was to reform existing institutions and create those that could serve their authority. The nobility also collaborated in the new regime. During a lull in international affairs, the monarchs decided to conquer the last Muslim stronghold in the Iberian Peninsula, the Nasrid kingdom of Granada (1481-1492). Isabella’s efforts to achieve religious unity included the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition (1478), the expulsion of the Jews (1492) who did not convert or were forced to leave, and the conversion of minorities such as the Moors of Granada. She also put great efforts into overseas expansion, which across the Atlantic ended with the discovery of America (1492). In terms of international politics, Ferdinand accepted these guidelines: friendship with France replaced by an approach to the Holy Roman Empire and England, harassing Great Britain, defending Roussillon and Sardinia, and carrying out the conquest of Naples. The result of this international politics was the title of “Catholic Monarchs”, granted in 1496 by Pope Alexander VI.
The Nasrid Kingdom
The Nasrid Kingdom was the political core of Islamic Spain, formed in the area of Andalusia in the early 13th century after the dissolution of the Almohad empire. It managed to survive until the 15th century. The founder of the kingdom was Muhammad I. In times of crisis, the Christian military offensive enabled the Nasrids to organize defensive fortifications along their borders with the Christian kingdoms. In the 15th century, the kingdom of Granada experienced a permanent crisis, and in 1492, it was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs, becoming the last territory to be conquered. It had a large population due to the influx of Muslims as the Reconquista progressed. It had a sound agricultural, industrial, and commercial base. In art, the Alhambra Palace, residence of the emirs, stands out.
The Revolt of the Germanies
The Revolt of the Germanies, which erupted in the kingdom of Valencia from 1519 to 1523, affected the Hispanic monarchy. In 1519, the nobles left the city because of the plague. Artisans, along with other sectors, came to power, forming the Board of Thirteen, headed by Juan Llorens. They claimed to strengthen guilds and eliminate uncontrolled free labor. They proposed measures to prevent abuses of the nobility, a recruitment system based on brotherhood (germania) to cope with attacks using weapons, and greater participation in local government. The Board of Thirteen expelled the royal troops, defeating the viceroy in 1521. They attacked the Moors, forcing them to be baptized. The defeat enabled the division of the leaders and strong repression with 800 death sentences. A second revolt of the Germanies occurred in the late 17th century when farmers in the Navy and the Comtat rose up due to conditions imposed after the expulsion of the Moors.
Hernán Cortés (1485-1547)
Cortés conquered Cuba with Diego de Velázquez, who entrusted him with the conquest of Mexico, although he later objected. He clashed with the Indians who were his allies. Spanish troops commanded by Velázquez fought against the rebels. The Indians rose up, and on July 3, 1520 (Noche Triste), the Spanish left. After the victory of Otumba, Charles V appointed him governor and captain-general. He returned to Spain to respond to allegations about his performance in territorial government. He did not return to the government of New Spain. He returned to Mexico where he made several more expeditions. In 1540, he returned permanently to Spain.
The Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada sailed during the reign of Philip II in 1588. England wished to invade Spanish shores, which were harassed, and the Spanish ships that came from America. Don Álvaro de Bazán designed a plan consisting of 130 ships departing from Lisbon and gathering in Flanders to later land Spanish regiments on the English coast. The landing never happened for several reasons: bad weather, ships took refuge in the French ports of the Channel and were burned by small boats firing at them, those that sailed were slow and vulnerable to the guns of lighter British ships, others sank or were scattered by the storm. Consequences: few ships returned and took refuge in Flanders, British ships dominated the Atlantic, Philip admitted: “I sent my troops to fight the elements.”
The Inquisition
The Inquisition was a religious court set up at the request of the Catholic Monarchs to publicly investigate and punish, even with the death penalty, crimes against the faith. It was created by Pope Gregory IX in 1323 and was directed by the Supreme and General Inquisition. It was suppressed by the Cortes of Cádiz in 1813, revived during the reign of Ferdinand VII, and finally abolished on July 15, 1834.
The Comuneros
The Comuneros was a secret society organized during the Trienio Liberal as a radical alternative to the Freemasons, who were moderate liberals. It took the name of the revolt of the Castilian cities against Charles V. It tried to rescue the struggles for freedom and self-rule in the history of the Spanish people. Notable members included Romero Alpuente and Moreno Guerra. Their ideas can be seen as radical, perhaps even republican. They ceased to have influence when political parties began to be institutionalized (1836).
Timeline
- 1474: Isabella I becomes Queen of Castile
- 1492: Conquest of Granada
- 1505: Papal bull “Inter Caetera” divides the New World between Spain and Portugal
- 1520: Revolt of the Comuneros, execution of Juan de Padilla
- 1543: Establishment of the Viceroyalty of Peru
- 1556: Philip II becomes King of Spain
- 1588: Defeat of the Spanish Armada
- 1599: Start of the Duke of Lerma’s influence
- 1609: Beginning of the expulsion of the Moriscos
- 1641: Andalusian secessionist movement
- 1668: Treaty of Lisbon
- 1713: Treaties of Utrecht
- 1749: Ensenada’s cadastral survey
- 1759: Charles III becomes King of Spain
- 1767: Expulsion of the Jesuits