Oliver Goldsmith: Historical Context of 18th Century Britain
Oliver Goldsmith
1 Historical Background
- Between 1760 and 1790, it was clear that there were two worlds: the old and the new.
- The new world was the product of technological change and was certain to produce a new and strange Britain.
- The age of Walpole had witnessed a rapid expansion of British trade and the opening of new markets, both at home and abroad.
- There was a demand for increased productivity, and merchants had sufficient capital to invest in industrial enterprises.
- The most influential developments
Tourism’s Socio-Economic Impact on Spanish Territories
Socio-Economic Impact and Territorial Tourism
Tourism is an activity that implies temporary residence and leisure pursuits (cultural, recreational, etc.). The word “economy” was first used in Britain in the late eighteenth century to designate a person who makes a pleasure trip for cultural reasons or for pleasure. In the nineteenth century, tourism was an elitist activity typical of wealthy aristocrats and the bourgeoisie.
However, since the 1960s, it has become a mass phenomenon, producing a large
Read MoreThe Hispanic Monarchy: A History of Spain
The Hispanic Monarchy
The Catholic Monarchs
The wedding of the Catholic Monarchs led to the dynastic union of Aragon and Castile, but not a political one.
- It strengthened the power of the state.
- Aiming to achieve religious unity, they created the Inquisition and expelled the Jews and the Mudejar.
- In foreign policy, their three objectives were:
- Extending the territory of the monarchy
- Expansion into the Atlantic and the Mediterranean
- Confrontation with France.
The Habsburgs (Los Austrias Mayores)
Charles V
Read MoreIndustrialization in Spain: Basque Steel and Catalan Textiles
**The Steel Industry in the Basque Country**
The Basque Country was rich in iron mines. Small factories producing soft iron (virgin iron) had been exploited for centuries in the mines of Biscay. These factories exported iron to the rest of Spain and its American colonies, but with the independence of these colonies, the Basque iron factories entered a crisis. Basque traders took advantage of this time of crisis to create new industries and replace products that had traditionally been imported. Taking
Read MoreThe Habsburg Empire: Power, Politics, and Legacy
In 1516, Ferdinand the Catholic died, and Carlos I (also known as Charles V of Germany) inherited the crown of Spain, along with the inheritance from his paternal grandparents. This accumulated a vast territory, but not the title of Emperor. Carlos I levied taxes in Castile, Aragon, and Catalonia to obtain resources to buy the title. This led to the Revolt of the Comuneros, in which the bourgeoisie, the Spanish nobility, urban plebeians, and broad sectors of the peasantry demanded a limitation of
Read MoreImmigration Trends in Spain: 1980-2002
The proposed traffic graph reflects the arrival of immigrants to Spain from 1980 to 2002. The annual series is not consistent; at first, it is almost five years, and then from 1997, it is annual. So, although the general trend is ascending, the chart does not accurately reflect the large increase in entries produced in the last few years.
From 1980 to 1995, the number of immigrants increased by about 150,000 every five years. This trend increases greatly after 1997 because the number of entries exceeds
Read More