Spanish Empire

These are two maps how was Spain and the Spanish Empire after 1492 and then answer the questions:

• Who had the largest empire, Charles I or Philip II?
• Name some of the territories in the empires.
• Which territories were part of the empires of both kings?

With this video you will understand what happened along this period of History.

THE REIGN OF THE CATHOLIC MONARCHS

• The Catholic Monarch unified Spain geographically, and expanded its territories.
• They conquered the Kingdom of Granada, the Canary Islands and some territories in North Africa.
• They financed Christopher Columbus expedition, which led to the discovery of America.

THE SPANISH EMPIRE

• Charles I, Isabella's grandson, became king of Spain in 1516.
• He ruled a big empire, which included:
  • The Catholic Monarchs' territories.
  • The Netherlands.
  • Other lands in Central Europe.
• He faced serious problems during his reign:
  • Revolts in Spain.
  • Wars in Europe (for political, social and religious reasons).

• Philip II, Charles I's heir, became king in 1556.
• His enormous empire included:
  • The Iberian Peninsula.
  • The Netherlands.
  • Territories in southern Italy.
  • America.
  • Asia.
  • Africa.
• He was involved in many wars:
  • Against France in 1557.
  • Against the Turks at the Batalla de Lepanto in 1571.
  • Netherlands started a long rebellion.
• The wars were expensive so prices increased a lot and people became poorer.
• In adittion, less gold and silver was sent from America.

LET'S DO THIS ACTIVITY TO REVIEW WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT ABOUT THE GREAT SPANISH EMPIRE