Reading Key

Restall, Matthew. Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2003

Convinced of the superiority of Catholicism to all other religions, Spain insisted that the primary goal of colonization was to save the Indians from heathenism and prevent them from falling under the sway of Protestantism. The aim was neither to exterminate nor to remove the Indians, but to transform them into obedient Christian subjects of the crown. To the Spanish colonizers, the large native populations of the Americas were not only souls to be saved but also a labor force to be organized to extract gold and silver that would enrich their mother country. Las Casas’ writings and the abuses they exposed contributed to the spread of the Black Legend-the image of Spain as a uniquely brutal and exploitative colonizer. This would provide of a potent justification for other European powers to challenge Spain’s predominance in the New World.

Throughout history, as we study Spain we can clearly recognize high and low points in their success. In the fifteen hundreds Spain had no influence on European affairs, Spain essentially vanished out of Europe. However, within one complete century Spain had become not only a leading power but they also had a great sense of effectiveness in Europe. Spain experienced a Golden age with many social, economic, political aspects. On the other hand, within

Restall’s ultimate goal in writing this book is to provide readers and scholars alike with a more realistic viewpoint and history of the Spanish conquest. He wishes to dispel the many myths that accompany the epic tale so as to provide a better understanding of who the natives were and, more importantly to Restall, who the Spanish were. He does an excellent job of questioning the who, what, and where of the personalities and motives of the men involved in conquest. These questions are heartily answered in a well-written and easy to read history book.

1492 was the year which set the seeds of change in North America. Columbus’ discovery was what prompted nations, like Spain and Portugal, to begin sailing West, instead of East. Shortly after Columbus’ discovery of the Bahamas, Spain and Portugal settled which nation would receive certain parts of the New World with the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. The Treaty of Tordesillas was proof that nations were taking Columbus’ discoveries

-The long struggle (ending in 1492) during which Spanish Christians reoccurred the Iberian peninsula from Muslim occupiers.

2. Francisco Pizarro- He was a Spanish explorer an conquistador who helped Vasco Núñez de Balboa discover the Pacific Ocean. He also conquered Peru and founded the capital Lima.

In Imperial Spain, J.H. Elliot examines the history of early modern Spain from the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, to the reformation of the Spanish government by the first member of the Bourbon dynasty. According to the author, at the start of the 15th century, Spain was internally weak, hopelessly divided and isolated from the continent by the Pyrenees. Yet, by 1492, Spanish society experienced a tremendous transformation which allowed Isabella and Ferdinand to unify the country, secure the largest transoceanic empire the world has ever known, and for a

In 1492, the Spanish defeated the Moors, an inquisition took off and Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas. This paper will argue how the Spanish Reconquista resulted in the inquisition and the expulsion of Jews and Moors in Medieval Spain. The sources that will be used are several primary sources, and secondary sources. The Spanish Reconquista inspired the ideas of religious nationalism, a common anti-Semitism among the Spanish people, the idea of a catholic state and catholic rulers, and other practical and economic influences.

For the people of Europe the Americas was a place to prosper, worship in there own way, and expand there kingdoms. The only problem is that they attempted to settle in their own way and all failed dismally. The New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southern Colonies grew differently in various ways, but each with the same state of mind, “do it our way”. Examining the three sets of colonies will prove that they were all different in religion, government, and ways of expansion.

3. Treaty of Tordesillas: It was a treaty intermediated by Pope Alexander VI in 1494, and it settled competing claims to the Atlantic discoveries between Spain and Portugal. It gave everything to the west of an imaginary line in the Atlantic to Spain and everything to the east of the line to Portugal.

However, the story of the Aztec defeat and the successful resolution of the Spanish mission against incredible odds raises many questions. Regardless of more advanced technology and weapons, the Spanish force was vastly outnumbered and began a military campaign poorly supplied within an unknown territory against an unknown enemy. This paper explores the possibility that other key factors were at play, which provided the Spanish with a several of advantages and facilitated the successful resolution of their campaign. Furthermore, these factors allowed for an incredibly quick and effective subjugation of millions of people – considering that by comparison it took hundreds of years to expel the Muslim armies from southern Spain, a war ending in 1492 and in which many conquistadores fighting in the new world took part of. This paper will argue that internal religious quarrels, unsustainable tax obligations, and continuing military conflicts weakened the Aztec social fabric by increasing resentment among subjugated towns and cities and diminishing trust among Aztec citizens in their highly centralized government.

Chapter 1 of Three Old World Create a New 1492 to 1600 focuses on the amalgamation of three worlds : America, Europe and Africa. Those three words all lead to the cultural diversity in America. The factors that contributed to the new world are: goods, slavery, cultural diversity, oceanic routes (or access to travel like ships) and, location

In 711, groups from Eastern and Northern Africa (Arab, Syrian and Berber), of Muslim religion, under the command of Tarik, defeated the Visigoth king Don Rodrigo in the battle of Guadalete. Thus began the Arab domination of the Iberian Peninsula which lasted for eight centuries, until 1492, when the last Nasrid king surrendered Granada to the Catholic Monarchs.

On August 1588, an enormous Spanish fleet of 130 ships sailed from A Coruña under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia with the sole purpose of invading England. If the invasion succeeded, it would change the world and Christianity; there would not be an England, as we know it, in its place a Spanish colony; Catholicism would prevail as the superior form of Christianity over Protestantism. There would be no British Empire, but, in its stead, the Spanish Empire. The USA would be heavily influenced by the Spanish. The world’s most spoken language would be Spanish. But after all, what were the motives of the Spaniards for launching such a vast invasion on Britain; what was worth all the effort and work? In this essay, the reasons for the launching of the Spanish Armada will be covered.