THE MODERN AGE The age of discovery Unit 11

SPAIN IN 1492 During the Middle Ages, the Iberian peninsula was divided into Christian Kingdoms and Muslim territory. King Fernando II of Aragón and Queen Isabel I of Castilla married. King Fernando II of Aragón and Queen Isabel I of Castilla united their two kingdoms creating one large powerful Christian Kingdom. Los Reyes Católicos defeated the Muslims in Granada. During the Middle Ages, the nobles controlled their part of the country, the laws and the courts. At the beginning of the Modern Age the Reyes Católicos took control of the army, economy and government when they unified the country. They had absolute power.

DISCOVERY OF THE AMERICAS During the Middle Ages, people made long journeys across Europe and into Asia by land. At the end of the fifteenth century the European countries wanted new trade routes to reach Asia and its silks, precious stones and spices ( pepper and nutmeg) They wanted to find trade routes by sea instead of by land as this was a much faster way to travel. DISCOVERY OF THE AMERICAS Christopher Columbus wanted to find a new sea route to Asia. He decided to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean. The Reyes Católicos gave him the money for this voyage. Three ships in the voyage, The Santa María, the Pinta and the Niña, left Palos (Huelva) on 3rd August 1492 and on the 12th October 1492 arrived in San Salvador, an island in the Bahamas. He thought he had reached Asia. Although he made three more voyages, he died not knowing he had discovered a new continent. The discovery of the Americas had important consequences: Spanish ports grew in importance and became very wealthy. The ship-building industry developed. The craftworkers became richer because Spain exported cloth, wool and leather. Spain also exported goods such as flour, cereals, oil and wine. Spain imported two most important raw materials : gold and silver which made Spain the most powerful country in Europe.

SPAIN IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY CARLOS I He became the first Spanish king of the Habsburg dynasty. He inherited Spain and its territories from the Reyes Católicos. He inherited other countries from his father’s family. During his reign, Spain conquered almost all of the Americas. Carlos I became the Holy Roman Emperor, Carlos V. Carlos I had to spend a lot of time trying solve problems in Europe. The division of the Church into Catholics and Protestants (Martin Luther) caused serious conflicts over religion. Carlos I divides his empire into two kingdoms: German Empire to his brother, Fernando. His Spanish Empire(Spain and the Netherlands) to his son, Felipe II FELIPE II He became king in 1556. In 1561, he permanently established the Royal Court in Madrid. He conquered Portugal in 1580. Felipe II’s armies won many important battles. In 1571, in the battle of Lepanto, the Spanish fleet stopped the Turkish Empire from taking control of the Mediterranean sea.

SPAIN IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY Three Habsburg kings ruled this century: Felipe III, Felipe IV and Carlos II. The Spanish Empire decreased in this century because it lost some of its territories in Europe, including Portugal. There was an economic crisis because: the kings had to pay the soldiers to fight in the wars ( Thirty Years War) and also pay people involved in the administration of the Spanish Empire. the amount of gold and silver from the Americas also decreased because of attacks by pirates. There was famine because there were poor harvests. The population decreased because many people died: - fighting in the wars. - because of famine and plague. emigrated to the Americas to find a better life. Spain expelled Muslims from the country. The Habsburg dynasty in Spain ended in 1700 when Carlos II died without an heir.

THE GOLDEN AGE During the 16th and 17th century the Spanish arts were going to see their moment of splendor. These years were called the Golden Age, which ironically increased in grandeur as the economic crisis of the Asturias kingdom worsened. Figures appeared in all the artistic fields. In painting, Velázquez, Murillo, El Greco; and in literature, Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Quevedo, Góngora and many others.

SPAIN IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY THE ENLIGHTENMENT Carlos II died without an heir and this caused the Spanish War Succession (1701 – 1714) between two families: The Habsburgs and the Bourbons. Felipe V became the King of Spain and the Bourbon dynasty replaced Habsburg dynasty. The Bourbon monarchs made the cities healthier and safer. They introduced street lighting, pavements and sewage and water systems. They created many hospitals, museums and botanical gardens. They widened the streets, adding fountains and monuments. The improvement in the economy and increased trade meant people had more money, which they could spend on health care. The Enlightenment was a movement which believed in freedom and equality. The followers of the Enlightenment believed that al people had the same rights. At the centre of the Enlightenment was a belief in human reason over religion or obeying leaders.