Search Results - Spanish Empire
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The Spanish Empire ( Spanish Imperio Español) was the fourth largest empire in history and one of the first global empires. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spain was in the vanguard of European global exploration and colonial expansion. Spain opened trade routes across the oceans, with trade flourishing across the Atlantic Ocean between Spain and America and across the Pacific Ocean between Asia-Pacific and Mexico via the Philippines. Conquistadors toppled the Aztec and Inca civilizations, and laid claim to vast stretches of land in North and South America. For a time, the Spanish Empire was the foremost global power, dominating the oceans with its experienced navy and ruling the European battlefield with its infantry (tercios). Spain enjoyed a cultural golden age in the 16th and 17th centuries. From the middle of the 16th century, silver and gold from American mines increasingly financed new exploration and colonial enterprises of Habsburg Spain as well as its military capability in its European and North African wars. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Spanish empire maintained the largest territory in the world, although it suffered fluctuating military and economic fortunes from the 1640s. Confronted by the new experiences created by empire-building, Spanish thinkers formulated some of the first modern ideas on natural law, sovereignty, international law, war, and economics — even questioning the legitimacy of imperialism — in related schools of thought called the School of Salamanca. Constant contention with rival powers caused territorial and commercial conflict that increased Spain's military expenditure considerably. Certain strategic islands and coastal towns in the Americas and the Mediterranean were occupied solely for defense. In the Mediterranean, Spain warred constantly with the Ottoman Empire; on the European continent, France became comparably strong. Overseas, Spain was initially rivaled by Portugal, and later by the English and Dutch. In addition, English-, French-, and Dutch-sponsored piracy, extension of Spanish military commitments in its territories, increasing government corruption, and economic stagnation caused by military expenditures ultimately contributed to the empire's weakening from the mid-17th century.[1][2]
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Showing 1 to 5 of 5 Articles matching 'Spanish Empire' in related articles. |
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1. Maya Indians
June 23, 2008
The Maya Indian Civilization flourished from 250AD to 900AD; this is known as history's Classic Period; there were as many as one-million Maya Indians in Belize.
Between the Classic Period and Post-Classic Period the Maya Empire split into separate conflicting "City States," just like the Roman Empire, lasting until the Spanish Colonial Period in the early 1600's. Though not known why, there are many different reasons this split could have happened, such as, over population, a revolt, disease or drought. However, there is evidence that there was over population.
Unlike the Inca or th... (read more)
Author: Anthony Benjamin
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2. Translating Spanish Letter To English
June 10, 2008
Learning Spanish: Spanish Guitar Lessons
Countries That Spanish Is Official Language This is not to say that there is no choice for a person to learn Spanish the easy way. Learning Spanish is not easy. This person can be someone who is a native Spanish speaker or it can be someone who is also learning Spanish. "It's wise to know what's going on. Spanish is one of the most generally useful languages today, heir of a big ephemeral colonial empire, spoken in Europe, the Americas, and Africa. It can be a very beautiful, romantic and macho language, with particular sounds that are manageab... (read more)
Author: John Brenner
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3. Exploring Old San Juan
January 21, 2008
When you've got a city that's over 400 years old, it's a shame not to revisit the rich history and grandeur of its colorful past. San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, offers a generous taste of the Old World, from its cobbled streets to its impressive architecture.
The overwhelming Spanish influence seen in San Juan can be traced back to 1521, when it was established as a settlement of the Spanish empire. Over centuries, the city has seen ships of mercantilism and military dominance docking and departing on its shores, survived attacks from British troops in the late 1500s, lived through... (read more)
Author: Kristien Wilkinson
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4. A Brief History of Spanish
September 04, 2007
Spanish around the World The Spanish language has been called the second world language, due to its large world wide distribution. It's origin goes far back into history. Tribes, such as the Celts, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Greeks, have contributed to the early development of the Spanish language. Around 200 BC, due to the reign of the Roman Empire and then later on during the 5th to the 8th century, due to the long period of the Muslim invasion of about 750 years, the Spanish language has been influenced and undergone further development. Over this period of continuing tens... (read more)
Author: Jacob Lumbroso
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5. Spanish History in less than 500 words
December 11, 2006
History can be a very boring subject. I still have memories of high school teachers raving on about subjects that just didn't interest me at all. So I've decided to produce the lazy mans guide to Spanish history. After reading this short article, you will know enough about it to sound like a pro.
The Roman Empire conquered what we now call Spain in the 2nd century BC. While the Iberians were fierce warriors, they never stood a chance against the armies of Rome. You may be interested to know that after taking control of Spain, the Romans took on the Iberian swords for their own armies. It... (read more)
Author: Wealthy Wal
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