APEH Spain Essay
By: Lynlea Kiser

Within a century, Spain had risen to the top and fallen back down. They are many reasons for the rise and fall of Spain. The rise and fall all began with Christopher Columbus’s exploration to the new world in 1492 to discover the new land. Columbus exploration started two centuries of the Spanish exploring the new world and discovering new things. This caused a social rise with money and technology.
With the new technology and money they began to focus more on the pride of the country. This first caused the Golden Age of Spanish Art which helped to show the pride of Spain. El Greco and Diego Velasquez helped to contribute to their pride by contributing to the Catholicism of Spain in Spain's monarchy. El Greco's real name was Domenikos Theotocopoulos. He led the people to become great Catholics by distorting the human figure and aiding to their emotional needs. His techniques showed the deep catholic faith. The Works of El Greco's Spoliation showed the pride of Spain's monarchy. Velazquez was the artist accompanying King Philip the IV. He is best known for his portraits of the royal family. Diego was famous for his use of rich color in all of his art work. He also did work for Charles IV's family. His paintings also helped in showing the pride of Spain.
When Philip Augustus forced the Jews to convert to Christianity changed the perspective of the Catholics in Spain. Many that did not have the urge to witch beliefs left the country forever. Ten years of Civil Wars. Fought between Catholic and Protestant, as well as the 17 provinces and Spain. Social Fall Seizure of Mines-The richest silver and gold mines in the new world, Peru, and in Mexico were seized. Most of Spain's money came from the mines. Metals in the new world were found and sold. Economic Rise When Spain expelled Jews and Moors, around 1500 valuable artisans and business people were lost. Nobles did not have to pay taxes. This left the tax burden to fall on the lower classes. It prevented them from being able to start their own businesses. Spain never developed a middle class. Economic Fall Severe Inflation-The population of Spain began to increase. The value of silver bullion dropped because it began to flood the market. Price Revolution-The price revolution severely strained government budgets. Economic Fall Marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella. It funded foreign ventures militarily. It allowed them to secure borders of their territories. Ultimately it brought Spain together as a Christian based country. Political Rise Union of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon Supremacy in the Mediterranean-The Spanish defeated the Ottoman Empire of the Turks. They conquered Portugal which in turn gave them control of Africa and India. Political Rise Defeat of the Spanish Armada Political Fall In 1588, the Spanish Armada assembled to invade England. At this, King Phillip of Spain dispatched about 130 ships. England warships outmaneuvered the Spanish vessels and bombarded the Armada with their heavier long range cannons. It dealt a crippling blow to Spain's dominance on the seas. Netherlands declared independence. Once they left, Spain was left to fend for themselves. Spain had to learn to be independent after many years of help from the Netherlands. They couldn’t handle the pressure which caused the fall of this country.