History of Spain

The country of Mexico officially gained its independence from Spain in 1821. To understand this specific juncture in the country’s history we must understand the political environment that came before it. Long before Cortes landed on the coast in 1521 in search of gold and silver, the political system of Mexico was organized by Mesoamerican civilizations like the Aztecs, Toltecs, Olmecs, and Mayans. By the time the Spanish arrived the Aztecs had a firm political grasp on most of the region. The…

Charles V grains in 1518 (“The Early History” 328). Jaques Cartier was a Brenton navigator that made four expeditions to the New World, and during his second exploration, became focused on tobacco through his scrutiny of Canadian Native Americans (“The Early History” 328). Andre Thevet, a French explorer, went to Brazil in 1555, and when he returned to France in 1556, he took with him a tobacco plant and wrote about his discoveries in the Americas (“The Early History” 328). Three years after…

Ferdinand Magellan was a well-known figure in the Philippine History. He was a Portuguese explorer who gives Spain their fame because of his expedition looking for westward route to Moluccas that result to the first circumnavigation of the Earth. With the consent of the King of Spain, Magellan then with five ships and more than 300 men began their voyage. As Magellan’s trip landed in the Philippines, he met Rajah Humabon of Cebu and became friend with him. Humabon then embraced Christianity as…

marvelous in so many ways (1493). The fourth voyage he wrote to the most Christian, King, and Queens of Spain, our sovereigns, in which he notified them of that which had occurred on his voyage, of marvellous things, and where there was great richness and value. In the letter…

allies (Austria and some other small countries). However lost somewhere in the middle of this chaos was Spain. During the early 19th century and before Spain had been a largely successful monarchy, whose power was felt throughout Europe and the world. This was seen through their colonization of Morocco, much of Latin America, and the majority of what is now the present day western United States. Spain was seen as a powerful ally and dangerous enemy…

The late 16th and 17th century experienced one of the most rapid spikes in not only population, but economic growth. In Economics, trade is king and global trade became a major aspect in the 17th century. There is little micro history on trade in terms of port cities. As a collective group we view port cities in terms of a trading epicenter, yet socially why did some port cities hinder at acquiring certain items more than others. These port cities formed one of the biggest foundations for major…

de Tormes depicts 16th century Spain through a sour and ugly lens that leaves an impression that Spain bred nothing but misfortunes – poverty, starvation, deception – especially for the character Lazarillo. However, readers are aware of the author’s intentions to “distort reality downward” – as Lazarillo’s fictional perspective is indeed intended to depict a distorted description of the non-fictional reality – which explains the contradiction with history, as Spain was, in fact, a rich country…

His 2009 melodrama, Broken Embraces, is set in modern Madrid, Spain and frequently shifts back and forth between 1992 and the present time (2008). Broken Embraces stars Penelope Cruz as Lena, a former prostitute and mistress of a wealthy business man. In a vain attempt to break free of her manipulative relationship…

began exploring and seeking to dominate the rest of the world during the 15th and 16th centuries. They had an enormous advantage with their ability to control sea routes which led to the discovery of the American continent. By the early 17th century, Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands were all fighting for colonies and trades around the world. Explorers, conquerors, missionaries, merchants, and adventurers looked to claim new lands to colonize. Competition for land grabs, settlement,…

(1451-1506). On the morning of Oct. 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus stepped ashore on an island in what has since become known as the Americas. The arrival of his ships in the Western Hemisphere was one of the pivotal events in world history. It opened up a new world for Europeans and initiated the spread of Western civilization to a new hemisphere. But if these lands were a new world for Europeans, they were a very old world for the inhabitants Columbus and his successors encountered. Cultures…