The Impact of the Discovery and Colonization of America on Spain
The Discovery and Colonization of America and its Impact on Spain
The Discovery of America
The discovery and conquest of America was a Castilian endeavor aimed at finding an alternative route to the East Indies. Christopher Columbus, likely a Genoese sailor and adventurer, intended to reach the Indies by sailing west, based on the idea that the Earth was spherical. It wasn’t until the fall of Granada that the Catholic Monarchs accepted Columbus’ proposal. They signed an agreement with him, the Capitulations
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Part 1: The Discovery and Conquest of America
1. The Great Geographical Discoveries
a) The New Geographical Areas
The Age of Discovery coincides with the Renaissance and is fundamental to European civilization. Beginning in the 15th century with Portugal and Spain, other countries followed suit in the 17th century. Renaissance man became acquainted with almost all of the known world.
b) Portuguese Advance Southward
Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal established a navigation school in Sagres, which
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– The Discovery of America
The discovery of America marks the peak of Spanish expansion from the Atlantic. It was made possible by advancements in navigation technology, an economic drive to find new routes to Asia for spices, gold, and silk, and the desire to spread Christianity. This discovery originated from a project to reach Asia by sailing west. Initially rejected by John II of Portugal, the project was later presented to the Catholic Monarchs, who only accepted it after the conquest of Granada.
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The Discovery of America
Atlantic expansion was driven by Castile. Several factors enabled this discovery:
- Advances in cartography, including more detailed portolan charts indicating wind directions.
- Use of the quadrant and sextant.
- Castile’s overcoming of Portuguese obstacles to its Atlantic expansion.
- Expectations of discovering new wealth for individuals and the Crown.
The driving force behind this initiative was Christopher Columbus, who envisioned a western route to India. Columbus initially presented
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The Discovery and Conquest of America (1492-1550)
I. Introduction
The discovery of America marked the end of Castile’s Atlantic expansion and shifted the European economy towards the Atlantic. Starting in 1508, Spain began its conquest and colonization of the Americas. By 1520, significant quantities of precious metals started arriving in Seville, fueling Spain’s imperialist policies with a constant flow of wealth from the New World. Castile transplanted its political, administrative, and social structures
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