Unveiling America: Conquest, Colonization, and Impact on Spain
The Discovery of America
In 1492, three ships under the command of Castilian explorer Christopher Columbus discovered a new continent: America. Castile needed a new route for spices due to the closure of ports in the Middle East by the Turks. They also sought gold and spices, driven by a love of adventure, knowledge, proficiency, and world evangelization.
These voyages began with the Capitulations of Santa Fe. On October 12, they arrived in San Salvador Guanahani. Columbus later made three trips to the Caribbean, exploring the new continent. America (named after the cartographer Amerigo Vespucci) revealed new plant and animal species. American territories were incorporated into the Crown of Castile until the first quarter of the nineteenth century.
Conquest and Colonization
The conquest in the first half of the sixteenth century gave way to the colonization and exploitation of the territory, which was incorporated into the Crown of Castile until the first quarter of the nineteenth century. The first major Caribbean Islands were colonized between 1492 and 1511. Hernán Cortés conquered Central America from 1518 to 1520, followed by the Maya and Guatemala. Peru and Ecuador were conquered from 1531 to 1532 by Francisco Pizarro. Cabeza de Vaca explored present-day Florida, Texas, and California. Almagro and Valdivia conquered Chile, and Mendoza founded Buenos Aires.
This victory led to the occupation and colonization of the territory, resulting in the disappearance of indigenous cultures and the imposition of Christian culture, which gave the Castilian power base of the sixteenth century.
Government and Administration
The conquered territory was incorporated into the American Crown of Castile, to which it belonged until its independence in 1824. Castilian institutions were replicated, including:
- Viceroyalties in New Spain (North America)
- Central and South America
- Municipalities
- Councils
- Courts of Justice
Political control was always in the hands of mainland officials, without the participation of indigenous and Creole people. Officials had to undergo an impeachment trial upon completing their mandate. Specific laws for these lands, such as the Laws of Burgos of 1512 and the New Laws of the Indies, were intended to control abuses by settlers against the Indians but were generally not respected.
The Crown held a monopoly on navigation and commerce through the Casa de Contratación in Seville. All traffic until the seventeenth century was required to go through Seville, called Quinto Real, and shared pieces of land called Parcels to individuals with the task of evangelizing the Indians. The political structure remained until independence, and America was their main source of revenue.
The Impact of America on Spain
Business was organized under the monopoly of Seville and the House of Trade. Transport was carried out by fleets. Gold and silver produced an inflationary effect on its accumulation in Seville at a time when the currency was metal and its value was determined by the grams of metal. This accumulation of money led to a revolution of rising prices.
Ultimately, it led to the ruin of domestic production, which was replaced by foreigners. The flight of capital, the debts of the Crown payable to foreign lenders to advance funds on capital, came from America and also by paying their mercenary armies. The higher classes only wanted to spend on luxury and despised manual labor. When the American mines ran out, the country was ruined by the effects of all the metal that reached it.