-
Aug 3, 1492
Voyage to the New World of 1492
Columbus's voyage was approved by King and Queen of Spain. He discovered the New World and increased the ability for European sailors to travel the world. Columbus tried to search precious metals such as silver and gold, like how Cortes did in South America. -
1493
Spanish Colonizations of the Americas
After the discovery of the New World led by Columbus, Spain set out ships to begin colonizing there. The Spanish settlements made contact with the Native Americans there and became "friends" at the time. Introduced to other resources such as sugarcanes. But the search of gold and silver wasn't successful. -
1521
Spain invaded the Philippines
The discovery of the Philippines led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 claiming it for Spain. King Philip 2 sent ships to set up settlements and to try to trade with the locals there. It later expanded trade in Asia for spices, silk, gold, etc. The Jesuits sailed to the Philippines to convert them into Christians. But it didn't last long until the Philippines went against the Spanish rule and attacked the settlements. Later Philippine won their independence from Spain. -
Jul 25, 1554
Marriage between England and Spain
King Philip of Spain and Queen Mary 1 of England married each other for a variety of reasons for King Philip of course. King Philip knew this marriage would lead to a better future for Spain. The marriage created an alliance between England and Spain. This would increase power for Spain for more territory to create wealth. It would also quite down potential enemies from revolting. This could give Philip the chance to spread the catholic faith and show the superior religion. -
1556
Charles V Abdicates Power
King Charles V ruled the Spanish Empire from 1516 and the Holy Roman Empire from 1519. Charles V later then abdicated his empire to his son, Philip. Philip later know as King Philip 2 of Spain inherited his father's territories and throne to form the Hapsburg Empire which includes the Dutch and the Netherlands. -
Aug 10, 1557
Battle of St. Quentin
Fought during the Italian War of 1551-1559. On June 7, 1557, Queen Mary of England declared war on France. King Philip 2 assisted Mary in the battle with his commanders Count of Egmont and Julian Romero. Leader of the French forces was led under by Constable Anne de Montmorency. The French were overwhelmed by the combined forces of the English and Spanish armies. The Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis lead to the end of the battle two years later. -
Oct 7, 1571
Battle of Lepanto
The Ottoman Empire was advancing across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Their goal was to destroy Christianity and convert the people of Europe to Muslims. The Holy League consisting of the main powers of the Venetian Empire and the Spanish Empire sent out their fleet to stop the Ottoman Empire fleet. The Holy League manage to force back the Ottoman fleet to retreat. This was a victory for the Holy League. -
Spanish Armada
King Philip 2 sent his "Invincible Armada" consisting of 130 ships, 2500 guns, 8000 seamen, and 20000 soldiers to invade England. Due to the fact that England became a Protestant nation. Being delayed by a storm gave the English a chance to prepare by setting long-range guns to bombard the Spanish ships from seven-mile. When the ships arrived they were hit badly, nearly losing the whole fleet. Spain lost a lot of money due to the over spending of the military. -
Spain Empire Lose Power
There were many factors that lead to the decline of the Spanish Empire. The first factor was the overspending of the Spanish military on the armada that nearly was decimated by the English. King Philip's successors were ineffective rulers. The so called "precious" metals lead to an inflation in their economy. King Philip 2 neglected farming and commerce which also hurt the economy. The last factor was that Spain expelled the Jews and Muslims, removing their skilled workers. -
Golden Age
The Golden Age was the time of expansion of art and literature. Led to the rise of famous artists and writers. Miguel de Cervantes wrote Europe's first modern novel called, "Don Quixote". Greek painter El Greco painted haunting religious pictures and portraits of nobles using vibrant colors.
