The Spanish and the Portuguese, before the encounter with the Americas Latin American Studies John Hancock High School Mr. De Santiago

Centuries of Conquest Position at the western end of the Mediterranean exposed it to outsiders – shaped culture Phoenicians – 1100 – 800 BCE Greeks – 600 BCE Carthaginians – 300 BCE

Roman Influence Arrived in 218 BCE Drove out the Carthaginians but met resistance for a century Hispania – Iberian Pen. Law – Architecture – Language – Religion Latin evolved to Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese Christianity – Middle of 3rd Century CE Established trade with the rest of the Mediterranean Roman rule ended in 5th Century BCE Vandals, Visigoths and Germanic Tribes set up kingdoms

Umayyad Caliphate

Muslims in Iberia - 8th to 15th Century CE Crossed Strait of Gibraltar from North Africa Ruled from Cordoba Extended religious toleration to Jews and Christians Many converted to Islam

Islamic Middle Ages Known as the Islamic Golden Age Advances in many areas Art – Philosophy Architecture Science – Medicine Math Astronomy Engineering Preserved and added to previous cultures’ findings

Islam continued Translated texts from Persia, India and Greece that were eventually translated to Latin and spread throughout Europe Enhanced productivity in agriculture – irrigation techniques – sugar cane and rice Silk weaving and leatherworking – Steel work Arabic most widely spoken language in Iberia Found its way into Spanish

Reconquista (Re-conquest) Began in the middle of the 8th Century CE Lasted 3 centuries Religion and hunger for land were driving forces Castile, Leon, Aragon and Portugal rose Experienced long periods of peace

Reconquista…continued. King Fernando III of Castile leads the charge Conquers cities of Seville and Cordoba in Andalusia in the south In the east – Aragon took Valencia in 1238 CE Only Granada in southern Spain remained Muslim – rulers were forced to pay tribute to Castile

Impact of Reconquista Knights were rewarded with land Christians willing to settle newly conquered territories were given land as well Gender roles were reinforced Christian Heroes – El Cid and Santiago Matamoros (St. James)

Iberian Monarchies in 15th Century Civil wars among victorious Christian Kingdoms for 200 years Famine – Black Death Portugal achieved stability first 1385 King Joao I defeats Castile to gain independence for Portugal

Enter Ferdinand and Isabella 1469 – marriage of Isabella of Castile and Leon to Ferdinand of Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia Isabella became Queen in 1474 and Ferd in 1479 – open door to combine their kingdoms Their grandson Charles I did so in 1516 (Spain) Created bureaucracy to organize power Corregidores – kept people in line Militant Catholics – Bad news for Jews and Muslims in Iberia

Iberian “Convevencia” Translate to Co-existence Jews, Christians and Muslims Occasionally shared in each in others religious ceremonies Jews held positions of trust with Christian Kings and for Muslim leaders - Muslims forbade new churches to be built but several were built as early as the 9th century

Breakdown of “Convivencia” Bloody battles took place Jews and Christians were at times sold as slaves in Morocco Discrimination against Jews grew in the 14th and 15th centuries Jews had to wear patches and paid higher taxes All Jews banished from Aragon in 14th century Under pressure many Jews “converted” to Catholicism – continued to practice Judaism underground “New Christians” became targets of prejudice

Catholic Kings and The Spanish Inquisition Ferdinand and Isabella take over during time of religious intolerance 1478 get Pope’s permission to clean house Discipline “New Christians” to conform to Catholic Teachings 2000 executions in 1480s Thousands tortured 1492 all Jews ordered to convert or to leave

Spanish Inquisition Torture Methods

Muslims Defeated in Granada Castile begins campaign to capture Granada in 1480s Succeeds in 1492 Set about to convert Muslims to Catholicism Ordered burning of thousands of Muslim books 1502 all Muslims told to convert or leave Many converted but practiced Islam in secret

Francisco Jimenez de Cisneros Religious Militant Archbishop of Toledo Head of the Inquisition Worked to eradicate all traces of Islam and Judaism Ready to defend against Protestant Reformation Ambitious Missionary Efforts in the American Colonies

Iberia and the Beginnings of Overseas Expansion The Mediterranean Sea was full of commerce in the 15th century Merchants exchanged woolen textiles for Asian Merchandise that arrived through the Silk Road Spices – Cinnamon, pepper, ginger, cloves from India Asian silks, cotton, textiles, sugar, slaves and precious stones Italians from Genoa and Venice dominated this trade Sophisticated methods of credit, accounting, contract law and maritime insurance

Iberia and the Beginnings of Overseas Expansion….continued Advances in Navigation Science Magnetic compass Better Ships for open sea Portugal takes the lead - 1415 King Joao I’s son – Prince Henry “The Navigator” Sponsors voyages along coast of Africa and into the Atlantic 1482 – reached Congo River 1488 – Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope – Southern tip of Africa 1498 Vasco de Gama sailed around Africa to India Portuguese no longer needed Italians or Muslim middle-men to access the “Indies” (Asia) Most knowledgeable people knew the world was round