Impact of American Colonies on Europe and Spain
The American colonies provided Europe with new plants (corn, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, pepper, and tobacco), food (cocoa), and some animals (turkey). These products led to changes in the eating habits of Europeans.
Consequences of the Conquest
For the native people, the conquest had mostly negative consequences. Their empires were destroyed, they were subjected socially and economically to the conquerors, and they had to abandon their traditions, their culture, and their economic organization. Their population also fell because they were not immune to the new diseases that Europeans brought and many were forced to work in terrible conditions. For Castile, the conquest financed Spanish hegemony in the sixteenth century. Many Spaniards emigrated (some 2000 – 3000 annually). The economy grew and prices rose as there was an abundance of precious metals. The New World inspired new discoveries in sciences, such as cartography, geography, and biology. Religion was an important issue in the colonies, as the Spaniards believed that it was their mission to Christianize the natives. In this process of religious conversion, indigenous practices were suppressed, often by force.
Politics, Economy, and Society
The Spanish Monarchy
The form of government during the 16th century was an authoritarian monarchy. Charles I and Philip II directly exercised power, though they were assisted by royal secretaries, councils, and a well-organized administration. The army was very important, due to the constant wars started by the monarchy. They were organized into tercios, military units composed of specialized infantry, artillery, and cavalry corps. Governing territories was achieved through an association of states, which were ruled over by the same monarch but maintained their own institutions, laws, and customs. The monarch was represented in each territory by a viceroy, who had considerable powers.
The Population and Economic Situation
The 16th century was a time of relative economic prosperity. This permitted population growth, which reached eight million inhabitants. Castile, with 6.1 million, was the most populous kingdom. The Castilian economy went through a phase of expansion in the first half of the 16th century, as trade with the Americas brought enormous wealth. Growth then stopped, as the profits were not invested in improving agriculture or crafts, but rather to finance the imperial wars and commercial debts with Europe. In addition, there was considerable inflation in the prices of products, due to the increase in precious metals from the Americas and the growth of the population and demand. The economy of the Crown of Aragon suffered a decline, due to the crisis of Catalan and Valencia trade as a result of the transfer of this activity to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Social Groups
The privileged groups, the nobility and the clergy, were subject to royal authority. The nobility simply occupied the posts indicated by the king in war and in diplomacy; and the monarchy interfered in the affairs of the clergy through the right of presentation of the candidates for ecclesiastical positions. However, both estates maintained their privileges, their social prestige, and their economic power. The third estate continued to be composed mainly of peasants. The middle classes were not well developed, due to the existence of an aristocratic mentality which thought the noble lifestyle was the ideal and looked down on commerce and manual activities.