Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire (Spanish: Imperio Español; Latin: Imperium Hispanicum), historically known as the Hispanic Spanish Empire Monarchy (Spanish: Monarquía Hispánica) and as the Imperio español (Spanish) Catholic Monarchy (Spanish: Monarquía Católica[1]), was Imperium hispanicum (Latin) one of the largest empires in history. From the late 15th century to the early 19th, Spain controlled a huge overseas 1492–1976 territory in the New World, the Asian archipelago of the Philippines, what they called "The Indies" (Spanish: Las Indias) and territories in Europe (centring on the so-called Spanish Road), Africa and Oceania.[2] It was one of the most powerful empires of the 16th and 17th centuries.[3][4] The Spanish Empire became known as "the empire on which the Left: Burgundy flag Right: Naval flag sun never sets" and reached its maximum extent in the 18th century.[5][6][7] Motto: Plus Ultra (Latin) "Further Beyond" Castile became the dominant kingdom in Iberia because of its Anthem: Marcha Real (Spanish) jurisdiction over the overseas empire in the Americas and the "Royal March" Philippines.[8] The structure of empire was established under the Spanish Habsburgs (1516–1700), and under the Spanish Bourbon monarchs the empire was brought under greater crown control and increased its revenues from the Indies.[9][10] The crown's authority in The Indies was enlarged by the papal grant of powers of patronage, giving it power in the religious sphere.[11][12] An important element in the formation of Spain's empire was the dynastic union between Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, The areas of the world that at one time known as the Catholic Monarchs, which initiated political, were territories of the Spanish Monarchy [13] or Empire (including territories of the religious and social cohesion but not political unification. Portuguese Empire during the Iberian Iberian kingdoms retained their political identities, with Union) particular administration and juridical configurations. Capital Madrid[a] Although the power of the Spanish sovereign as monarch Common languages Spanish (de facto) varied from one territory to another, the monarch acted as Latin (formal) [14] such in a unitary manner over all the ruler's territories Other languages See list through a system of councils: the unity did not mean Neapolitan uniformity.[15] In 1580, when Philip II of Spain succeeded to Sicilian the throne of Portugal (as Philip I), he established the Council Sardinian of Portugal, which oversaw Portugal and its empire and "preserv[ed] its own laws, institutions, and monetary system, Guanche and united only in sharing a common sovereign."[16] The Aragonese Iberian Union remained in place until in 1640, when Portugal Asturian re-established its independence under the House of Basque Braganza.[17] Catalan- Valencian-Balearic Galician The Spanish empire in the Americas was formed after Andalusian Arabic conquering indigenous empires and claiming large stretches (until 1609) of land, beginning with Christopher Columbus in the Portuguese Caribbean Islands. In the early 16th century, it conquered and Dutch incorporated the Aztec and Inca empires, retaining indigenous Quechua elites loyal to the Spanish crown and converts to Christianity Nahuatl as intermediaries between their communities and royal Zapotec [18][19] government. After a short period of delegation of Maya authority by the crown in the Americas, the crown asserted Tagalog and other control over those territories and established the Council of indigenous the Indies to oversee rule there.[20] The crown then languages established viceroyalties in the two main areas of settlement, Religion Roman Mexico and Peru, both regions of dense indigenous Catholicism[b] populations and mineral wealth. The Magellan-Elcano circumnavigation—the first circumnavigation of the Earth— Demonym(s) Spaniard laid the foundation for the Pacific oceanic empire of Spain Government Composite and began the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. monarchy (Habsburgs) The structure of governance of its overseas empire was Absolute significantly reformed in the late 18th century by the Bourbon monarchy monarchs. Although the crown attempted to keep its empire a (Bourbons) closed economic system under Habsburg rule, Spain was King unable to supply the Indies with sufficient consumer goods to • 1474–1516 Catholic Monarchs meet demand, so that foreign merchants from Genoa, France, • 1886–1931 Alfonso XIII England, Germany, and the Netherlands dominated the trade, History with silver from the mines of Peru and Mexico flowing to • Conquest of the 1402–96 other parts of Europe. The merchant guild of Seville (later Canary Islands Cadiz) served as middlemen in the trade. The crown's trade • Spanish landfall in 1492 monopoly was broken early in the 17th century, with the the Americas crown colluding with the merchant guild for fiscal reasons in • Conquest of 1512 circumventing the supposedly closed system.[21] Spain was Navarre largely able to defend its territories in the Americas, with the • Magellan's 1519–22 Dutch, the English, and the French only taking small circumnavigation Caribbean islands and outposts, using them to engage in • Union with Portugal 1580–1640 contraband trade with the Spanish populace in the Indies. In • Spanish American 1808–33 Wars of the 17th century, the diversion of silver revenue to pay for Independence European consumer goods and the rising costs of defense of • Treaty of Paris 1898 its empire meant that "tangible benefits of America to Spain • Withdrawal from 1976 were dwindling...at a moment when the costs of empire were the Spanish climbing sharply."[22] The Bourbon monarchy attempted to Sahara expand trade within the empire, by allowing commerce Currency Spanish real between all ports in the empire, and took other measures to Escudo (from 1537) revive economic activity to the benefit of Spain. The Spanish dollar Bourbons had inherited "an empire invaded by rivals, an (from 1598) Spanish peseta economy shorn of manufactures, a crown deprived of (from 1869) revenue... [and tried to reverse the situation by] taxing colonists, tightening control, and fighting off foreigners. In the Preceded by Succeeded by process, they gained a revenue and lost an empire."[23] Crown of Kingdom of Castile Spain Spain experienced its greatest territorial losses during the early Crown of Kingdom of 19th century, when its colonies in the Americas began Aragon Naples [24] fighting for independence. By the year 1900 Spain had Emirate of Duchy of also lost its colonies in the Caribbean and Pacific, and it was Granada Milan left with only its African possessions. Kingdom of Kingdom of Navarre Sicily In Spanish America among the legacies of its relationship Burgundian First Mexican with Iberia, Spanish is the dominant language, Catholicism Netherlands Empire the main religion, and political traditions of representative Episcopal Gran principality of Colombia government can be traced to the Spanish Constitution of Utrecht United 1812. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, the Spanish Aztec Empire Provinces of Empire's establishment in the 15th century ushered in the Maya the Río de la modern global era and the rise of European dominance in Civilization Plata global affairs. Inca Empire Republic of Tondo Chile Bolivia Madja-as Protectorate Contents Sultanate of of Peru Sulu First Catholic Monarchs and origins of the empire Rajahnate of Philippine Cebu Republic Early expansion Louisiana Equatorial Fall of Granada (New France) Guinea Campaigns in North Africa Sahrawi Arab Navarre and struggles for Italy Democratic Republic Canary Islands Louisiana Rivalry with Portugal (New France) Florida New World Voyages and the Treaty of Tordesillas Territory Papal Bulls and the Americas US Military First settlements in the Americas Government in Cuba Assertion of Crown control in the Americas Puerto Rico The Spanish Habsburgs (1516–1700) Dutch Charles I of Spain/Charles V, Holy Roman Republic Emperor (r. 1516–1558) Struggles for Italy Today part of List Ottoman Turks during Charles V's rule Americas: Argentina Religious conflicts in the Holy Roman Belize Empire Bolivia Early Spanish America Brazil Philip II (r. 1556–1598) Chile Ottoman Turks, the Mediterranean, and North Colombia Africa during Philip II's rule Costa Rica Cuba Conflicts in North-West Europe Dominican Spanish America Republic The Philippines, the Sultanate of Brunei and Ecuador Southeast Asia El Salvador Portugal and the Iberian Union 1580–1640 Guatemala Haiti Philip III (r. 1598–1621) Honduras Philip IV (r. 1621–1665) Jamaica Charles II and the end of the Spanish Habsburg Mexico era Nicaragua Panama Spanish America Paraguay Explorers, conquerors, and expansion of empire Peru Ordering colonial society – social structure and The legal status Bahamas Trinidad and Imperial economic policy Tobago United States The Spanish Bourbons (1700–1808) Uruguay Bourbon reforms Venezuela 18th-century economic conditions Asia and Contesting with other empires Oceania: Marshall Military recovery Islands Role in the American Revolution Micronesia Contestation in Brazil Palau Philippines Rival empires in the Pacific Northwest Taiwan Loss of Spanish Louisiana Africa: Other challenges to the Spanish Empire Algeria Equatorial End of the global empire (1808–1899) Guinea Destabilization of the empire (1808–1814) Libya Spanish American conflicts and independence Morocco (1810–1833) Tunisia Western Santo Domingo Sahara Spanish–American War Europe: Belgium Territories in Africa