Premium Essay

Spanish Empire Research Paper

Submitted By
Words 925
Pages 4
The Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire is one of the largest empires to be established in history. It stretched over many continents and had many islands. Spain expanded its territories over four centuries, starting in 1492 and ending in 1892. One of the influences from the Spanish Empire today is that the United States was founded under Spanish control. The motivating force for Spanish exploration, both on land and overseas, was the spread of Catholicism and the unearthing of natural resources and precious metals such as gold and silver by taking over other empires such as the Aztecs and Incas. The Origins of the Spanish Empire begin with the Reconquista. The Reconquista was a period of about 750 years during which many Christian Kingdoms …show more content…
The formation of the Spanish Empire begins with the death of Isabella I in 1504. Her death played an influential role in Castile. Ferdinand II saw her death as an opportunity to expand his land, but was not able to. The Cortes Generales instead chose to crown Juana. However, in 1506, Juana’s husband, Philip I of Habsburg, was crowned King through jure uxoris. Within the same year Philip I died and Castile had no proper ruler. King Philip I and Queen Juana had a son named Charles who was expected to take over. However, Charles was only 6 and was not old enough to rule. This gave King Ferdinand II of Aragon the opportunity to rule over Castile as regent. When Ferdinand died in 1516, Charles became King Charles I, the first king of a United Spain. In addition to being Maximilian of the Holy Roman Empires grandson, the lands conquered by the Holy Roman Empire were passed to Charles V. In 1519, Charles V united the kingdoms of Spain and Austria and named it the Holy Roman …show more content…
Bartolome de Las Casas describes the arrival of the Spanish on American soil as “cruel Tygres, Wolves, and Lions, enrag'd with a sharp and redious hunger; for these forty years past, minding nothing else but the slaughter of these unfortunate wretches, whom with diverse kinds of torments neither seen nor heard of before, they have so cruelly and inhumanly butchered, that of three millions of people which Hispaniola it self did contain, there are left remaining alive scarce three hundred persons.” This account for Bartolome de Las Casas exemplifies the cruelty and imperialistic side of Spain. Spain was not just seeking new land, resources, and riches, instead they were seeking a way to exploit natives as they saw them as

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

American Imperialism

...Research Paper The effects of the United States Imperialism By Andrew Watterson John Brown University 3/6/2013 American imperialism is believed to have truly begun in 1898 when America fought the Spanish in order to obtain Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. The Spanish-American War was during the presidential administration of President McKinley. It was caused by the sinking of the U.S. battleship, USS Maine, in Havana harbor in 1898. War was declared and the United States won quickly. Under the treaty of the U.S. acquired Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines from Spain in return for $20 million. Later on President McKinley was assassinated in 1901 and vice president Theodore Roosevelt stepped up to fill his role as commander and chief. Now that the American army was a worldwide force to be reckoned with, and a headstrong, powerful leader was in control, the tone was set for an American empire to be formed. A glimpse into the newspaper articles of this era will help illuminate the thoughts of the American people’s thoughts of an empirical nation. In the all stages of the American empire, there have always been mixed feelings of the idea, that either it would be a commercial success and a glorious thing for the nation, where as others suggested that we were no better than the British empire that we broke away from. “It is pointed out that such an empire would be the greatest the world has ever seen, and, the possessions that America has won from Spain during...

Words: 782 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

A Call for Further Research: Afro-Chinese Marriages in 20th Century Cuba

...A Call for Further Research: Afro-Chinese Marriages in 20th Century Cuba Katie Wang UCLA Professor Wright-Dixon I. Introduction Coalitions through marriage is a long understood concept. Kingdom alliances through marriages are ones that first come to mind. Often fictional portrayals of real pressures for pressures to gain resources or military alliance for a capital or imperial need involve young princes and princesses who are forced to marry. However, in a nonfictional example for this paper, Chinese indentured laborers or former indentured laborers and African slaves or former slaves married in 19th century Cuba both romantically and strategically. I argue that there needs to be further research around Afro-Chinese marriages in Cuba and a recentering on women. I had originally planned to center this paper around African slave women who married Chinese men in Cuba in the 19th century but was not able to because of the lack of literature available. However, I aim to focus on a reading against the grain for indications of women’s agency and voice in this set of literature. My personal stakes in this topic are two-fold. First, my mother’s side of my family lived in Cuba for a few decades from the late 1920s to 1960 as a part of an entrepreneurial endeavor and as refuge from persecution from the Communist Party of China. Because of my personal tie to Chinese in Cuba, I seek to uncover untold stories and hidden transcripts. Second, this paper is a part of a larger project...

Words: 3789 - Pages: 16

Free Essay

Transforming National Identity

...his fight alongside fellow Filipino revolutionaries for independence against Spanish rule. Mendoza’s military pursuits and motivational contributions as a soldier and organizer in the Filipino Revolution help to demonstrate the ultimate transformation of the Philippines and its sense of national identity. Although Spain made its positive socio-economic influences such as promoting Roman Catholic religion, improving economic development, and organizing rule, Mendoza’s journey with the growing organization and bonding culture of the Filipino country and community to fight for independence prove that the journey of the Filipino Revolution still brought this greater transformation of national identity in Philippine history. With issues such as continued control by the US and gaining no initial recognition from the Spanish and the US after the Philippine Declaration of Independence, the immediate aftermath of the Revolution may not have necessarily correspond to their desired goals of establishing independence as a nation. However, the path towards the end of the Revolution in 1898 in essence demonstrates the main focus – the turning point of developing more national sense of pride in being a Filipino. Before this phase of Filipino revolution and nationalism development, which can be primarily dated as 1892 to 1898, the Philippines actually started forming a sense of national identity through Spanish colonization, which went on from...

Words: 2561 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Aztecs

...COR 130 Individual Research Paper The Aztecs and the role of Human Sacrifice The Aztec was a culture that dominated the Valley of Mexico in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. All the Nahua-speaking peoples in the Valley of Mexico were Aztecs, while the culture that dominated the area was Tenochca. At the time of the European conquest, they called themselves either "Tenochca" or "Toltec," which was the name assumed by the bearers of the Classic Mesoamerican culture, stated in Manuel Aguilar-Moreno’s book, Handbook to Life in the Aztec World. Sadly, many of the Aztec didn't survive after the arrival of the Europeans. But during the earlier years, the Aztec became one of the most advanced civilizations because of their religion, war, and agriculture. The Aztecs gained an infamous reputation for their bloodthirsty human sacrifices with explicit tales of the beating heart being ripped from the still-conscious victims, decapitation, skinning and dismemberment. All of these things did happen but it is important to remember that for the Aztecs the act of sacrifice was a strictly ritualized process that gave the highest possible honor to the gods and was regarded as a necessity to ensure mankind’s continued prosperity. The Aztecs were not the first civilization in Mesoamerica to practice human sacrifice; human sacrifice was practiced to some extent by many peoples in Mesoamerica and around the world for many centuries. But it was the Aztec empire that really took the ritual...

Words: 4995 - Pages: 20

Free Essay

Nothing

...South America GEA1000 Josslen Leonard South America GEA1000 Josslen Leonard...

Words: 1693 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Human Sacrifice In Aztec Culture

...controversial culture studied by many archeologist and anthropologist a like. The Aztec had an empire in central Mexico when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. The Aztecs had a very controversial practice not seen in many cultures around the world and that is human sacrifice. To understand the practice of human sacrifice one must look at the reasons why the culture did such practices. There are three main ways of examining a cultural practice from a anthropological perspective. These ways are cultural relativism, ethnocentrism and critical cultural relativism. The purpose of the examining the human sacrifice the way of critical cultural relativism is the best and superior way to look at foreign...

Words: 1187 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

None

... PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND In this chapter, the researchers will be discussing about the Introduction, Statement of the Problem, Hypothesis, Scope and Delimitation of the Study, Significance of the Study and Definition of Terms. I. Introduction : ------------------------------------------------- This thesis aims to discuss the population growth on some countries specially Philippines, that somehow affects the or our economy. The population and poverty nexus is not new but remains an important development issue for many countries. In the Philippines, for instance, the debate on role of population growth and family size in development, in general, and poverty, in particular, is largely unresolved. Recent research has added the important dimension of vulnerability to poverty...

Words: 1240 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Theories Behind the Disappearance of the Myan Cilization

...theories behind the decline of the Mayan Civilization. They range from over-population, war, famine, immigration, deforestation, climate change, and even aliens. When we say the disappearance of the Mayans we do not mean that the culture completely disappeared, we are talking about and extreme reduction in population. Tom Server believes as much as 90 to 95 percent of the population. Many of the major bustling cities of the Mayan Empire such as Tikal, Palenque, and Copan were simply abandoned for, what appears to be, no reason. Many of these theories have been debunked over time with the development of new science technology that allows for more thorough of investigations of these ancient civilizations. The first theory we will visit will be the affects of deforestation which also encompasses part of the climate change theory. NASA archaeologist, Tom Sever(2004) states that , “The Mayan civilization in Mesoamerica was one of the densest populations in human history”. He believes that the population during the height of the Mayan Empire would have been between 1800 and 2600 people per square mile. In 2000, the population density of Los Angeles was around 2300 for a comparison. The extreme amount of people living in the area would have put a strain on the natural resources of the area; water, usable land, trees, animals, etc. It would have pushed the limits of what the land could support. Based on Sever’s theory he believes that, in order to sustain the population...

Words: 1215 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Honoring Hispanic Heritage

...Heritage Month. It is my distinct honor to speak to you today. Hispanic culture is deeply intertwined with the history of this Nation. We live on the same side of the world with the largest Spanish speaking population due to our proximity to Mexico, Central, South America and the Caribbean. So it is important to recognize the contributions of the Hispanic culture as well as other cultures to celebrate and acknowledge how the history, culture, values and traditions of the United States were and continue to be shaped by the make-up of its ever changing population profile. When I started to think about what I would say, it occurred to me that perhaps I should do a little research and review history instead of presuming I know everything about my heritage. I am glad I did because I learned many facts that challenged my own understanding of history. I want to share some of these facts with you today. On September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week, observed during the week that included Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. The observance was expanded in 1989 by Congress to a month long celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), America celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American...

Words: 1488 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Native Americans

...diverse nation on the planet. There may be other facts disputing this assumption but the United States beats other culturally diverse nations in terms of the tolerance and harmony between the resident cultures. All this can been attested to the fact that America is an Immigration Country. The country constitutes people from different parts of the world. The process of people moving into the new world that is the Americas where the United State lies began centuries ago and has been an ongoing process to the current day. This paper examines the origins of their Native Americans. This paper also explores their journey into the Americas as the first Immigrants. Their settlement patterns and ways of life will also be examined. The paper also explores how the Native Americans in the Americas fared during the European conquest of the region that is currently identified as the America. Euro-Indian relations, conflicts and their aftermath is also a focus point of the paper, which culminates into the current state of affairs of the Native American community in the Americas. Origins of the Native Americans There are diverse sources of information on the origins and history of the Native Americans. They include oral history passed down through generations. This oral history is as diverse as the Indian Nations. Different tribes have different folklore to explain their origins. For instance, the Haida who reside in British Columbia say that man was shaken out of a clam shell by a raven. The...

Words: 2083 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Aging In Peru

...Oviedo _assignment Andeans Quechua language and Nutrition education to aging in Peru Historically, from the time when Spain citizens arrived in Peru and change the Inca Empire, the Quechua speaking, suffering marginalization in Peruvian society (Sarali, 2005, p.47). This article explain clearly about this language and all happened since five centuries. Quechua is the theme in this assignment and how continues speaking and where place still talk in their daily life. And another article research “Socio-demographic, behavioral, functional and anthropometric data for groups of elderly Quechua Indians of Peru were used to investigate the effects of gender and lifestyle patterns on nutritional status” (Fortunato & Drusini, 2005, P. 141). Fortunato...

Words: 1550 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Mercantilism

...trade, especially of finished goods. Mercantilism dominated Western European economic policy and discourse from the 16th to late-18th centuries.[2] Mercantilism was a cause of frequent European wars and also motivated colonial expansion. Mercantilist theory varied in sophistication from one writer to another and evolved over time. High tariffs, especially on manufactured goods, are an almost universal feature of mercantilist policy. Other policies have included: Building overseas colonies; Forbidding colonies to trade with other nations; Monopolizing markets with staple ports; Banning the export of gold and silver, even for payments; Forbidding trade to be carried in foreign ships; Export subsidies; Promoting manufacturing with research or direct subsidies; Limiting wages; Maximizing the use of domestic resources; Restricting domestic consumption with non-tariff barriers to trade. Mercantilism in its simplest form was bullionism, but mercantilist writers emphasized the circulation of money and rejected hoarding. Their emphasis on monetary metals accords with current ideas regarding the money supply, such as the stimulative effect of a growing money supply. Specie concerns have since been rendered moot by fiat money and floating exchange rates. In time, the heavy emphasis on money was supplanted by industrial policy, accompanied by a shift in focus from the capacity to carry on wars to promoting general prosperity. Mature neomercantilist theory...

Words: 4905 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

Unification of Germany

...Coercive Diplomacy: Otto von Bismarck and the Unification of Germany by Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth R. Kassner United States Marine Corps United States Army War College Class of 2012 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: A Approved for Public Release Distribution is Unlimited This manuscript is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Strategic Studies Degree. The views expressed in this student academic research paper are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. The U.S. Army War College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information...

Words: 7938 - Pages: 32

Free Essay

Uruguay

...LNUMSU | Uruguay | Research Paper | Section 3 | Joyce----Chen Xinran; M00079641 Jodie----Zhou Yingzhe;M00079727 | 2012/12/31 | | Uruguay Uruguay is located in the Southern South America, and lies at the east bank of Uruguay River and the Rio de la Plata---- at the border of the South Atlantic Ocean, and it is located between Argentina and Brazil (CIA: Uruguay: Geography). Uruguay is a country living on exporting farming and herding services and the economy of it is mainly based on agro-exporters and miners. Uruguay’s economic situation shows diverse and multi-level trends, including hydropower development, which is greatly improved and largely spread. Meanwhile, most visitors flock to beach resorts of the Atlantic Ocean such as Punta Del Este. Education is compulsory and free in Uruguay, even so, there are still many Uruguayan who choose to immigrate to Spain, in order to seek for better job opportunities (travelnationalgeographic: Uruguay Facts). In the early twentieth century, because there are a large number of agricultural products exporting to Europe and other country, it makes Uruguay became one of the rich countries in South America Currently, although the Uruguay economy which has experienced a serious of recessions can’t be compared to the past, Uruguay’s economy began to revive as Brazil and Argentina since 2004 (countrystudies: Uruguay). This research paper is divided into four parts. In the first place we give an explanation about political...

Words: 2309 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Spanish Wine Industry

...Marieshka Barton Wines of Spain Prof. Newton June 15, 2015 Spanish Wine Marketing and Sales Sonoma State University’s Wines of Spain 2015 summer class introduced students to Northern Spain’s prestigious Penedès, Priorat, and Rioja wine regions. Production and marketing professionals from eight wineries hosted our student group and provided facility tours and insights on production, marketing, and exporting. This paper focuses on Northern Spain’s wine industry’s legal regulations, tourism, stewardship, communications, and exports through the lens of wine business marketing. The paper concludes with marketing recommendations relevant to new world (USA, Canada, and Australia) markets. History First, a brief introduction to Spain’s wine history is provided to differentiate Spain from its global competitors and set the context for further analysis. As an “old world” wine culture, Spain has a rich wine history beginning with Phoenician tribes and industrious Romans. Unfortunately, Spain’s nascent wine industry was disrupted due to Islamic rule followed by civil and global wars. In the late 1800’s, French winemakers revolutionized Spain’s weak wine industry. France’s Phylloxera tragedy brought an exodus of French winemakers over the Pyrenees seeking work. By the time Phylloxera reached Spain, viticulturists where already grafting native vines onto American...

Words: 3895 - Pages: 16