The Spanish Seaborne EmpireThe Spanish empire was the first of the great seaborne empire of western Europe. It lasted more than three hundred years before breaking up in the early nineteenth century in the civil wars between rival generals and liberators. This book examines the complex administration of the empire; its economy, based on gold and silver but dependent on fleets; its social structure; the influence of the Catholic Church; and the rift between American and European Spaniards. It also examines the rivalries with Portugal, England, France, and Holland for supremacy, the personalities of those involved in the struggle, and the drastic effects on the Native American population. |
Contents
Introduction by J H Plumb | 13 |
PROLOGUE | 27 |
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EMPIRE | 39 |
Copyright | |
23 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
administrative Andalusia areas army Atlantic audiencia authority Aztecs became Bogotá Bolívar Buenos Aires cabildo Cadiz Caribbean Carrera Cartagena Casas Castile centres Christian Church civilised coast colonial conquest conquistadores Cortés Council Creole Cruz Cuzco decline Diego Colón Dutch early economic eighteenth century empire encomenderos encomienda English Europe European export Ferdinand fleet force foreign France French friars governors Granada guarda-costas harbours Hispaniola important Inca independence Indians Indies trade industry islands King kingdoms labour land legislation Lima loyalty Madrid Maya ment merchants mestizos Mexico military mines mission monopoly native naturally naval officials organisation peninsular Spaniards Peru Philip Pizarro Plata political population ports Portuguese production provinces repartimiento Río royal rulers sailed settlement settlers seventeenth century Seville ships silver sixteenth century slaves social society South Spain Spaniards Spanish America Spanish Crown Spanish Empire Spanish government tion towns tribute Vera Cruz viceregal viceroy viceroyalty vols