Spain: Political History and Notable Figures

1479 - 1555 - House of Tratsamara (All Facts)

• House which founded the unified Kingdom of Spain and laid the foundations for the Spanish Empire

1479 - 1504 - Isabella of Castile (All Facts)

• First Queen (Ruler) and Founder of the Kingdom of Spain of the House of Tratsamara

  • She was initially the Queen of Castile, succeeding to the throne after her brother Henry IV died

  • She married Ferdinand of Aragon in order to unify the multiple kingdoms of Spain

    • This was effectively a federation, creating a powerful force via their alliance of thrones

  • She was intelligent, pious, and possessed a great sense of royal dignity

• She and Ferdinand

  • established the Spanish Inquisition

    • This denounced the Jews as blasphemers and usurers, and encouraged every form of intolerance towards them

  • established the Encomienda System

    • This sanctioned the system of levying tribute payments from the inhabitants in America and using them as forced labor

  • set out a series of measures intended to encourage the inhabitants in the New World to

    • adopt a settled way of life

    • spread the gospel amongst themselves

  • defeated the Afonso V and the Portuguese during and after the War of the Castilian Succession

  • sponsored Christopher Columbus’s expedition to the West Indies (Americas) after being persuaded by him

  • took possession of Malaga, which up until their rule had been an independent Muslim principality

  • took possession of Granada, the last Muslim kingdom in Spain, thus ending the Reconquista

  • allowed Andalusian (Spanish) Muslims

    • to emigrate freely

    • to keep all arms except firearms

    • to continue to maintain their religion free from interference

    • to continue to enjoy their own communal life

    • to continue to be able to maintain their own judicial system and local officials

  • issued the Alhambra Decree

    • This was a royal edict decreeing the expulsion of all Jews from Spain

    • 150,000-200,000 Jews had just four months to leave Spain after years of growing anti-Jewish feelings

  • issued an edict ordering the expulsion from the Kingdom of Castile of all Moors who had not yet been baptized as Christians

  • signed the “Treaty of Barcelona” with King Charles VIII of France

    • This allowed Spain to regain Cerdagne and Roussillon, which were previously pledged to King Louis XI of France by King John of Aragon

  • signed the “Treaty of Tordesillas” with King John II of Portugal

    • This treaty drew an imaginary demarcation line down the Western Atlantic, which (in hindsight) slightly favored Spain since the treaty allowed Spain to retain discovered land west of the demarcation line

  • have a son named John who they had married to Margaret, the daughter of Maximilian of the Holy Roman Empire

    • He later died while they were still ruling

  • established the House of Trade / Casa de Contratación

• Under her and Ferdinand’s reign,

  • Hispaniola / Santo Domingo was claimed and founded

• However, she was the dominant partner in their co-rulership

  • Ferdinand had to live in Castile and was not able to leave without his namesake wife’s permission

  • Ferdinand could not wage war without his namesake wife’s advice and consent

  • Only Castilians were appointed to the council, not Aragonese

• When she died, effective power remained in the hands of her husband who continued to rule without her, rather than her daughter and successor

1479 - 1516 - Ferdinand of Aragon (All Facts)

• First King (Ruler) and Founder of the Kingdom of Spain of the House of Tratsamara

  • He was initially the King of Aragon, succeeding to the throne after his father John II died

  • He married Isabella of Castile in order to unify the multiple kingdoms of Spain

    • This was effectively a federation, creating a powerful force via their alliance of thrones

  • He was fond of women, and of gold and jewels which he not only wore but with which he adorned the trappings of his horses

  • He showed great personal courage and endurance in recent civil war struggles in Spain

• He and Isabella

  • established the Spanish Inquisition

    • This denounced the Jews as blasphemers and usurers, and encouraged every form of intolerance towards them

  • established the Encomienda System

    • This sanctioned the system of levying tribute payments from the inhabitants in America and using them as forced labor

  • set out a series of measures intended to encourage the inhabitants in the New World to

    • adopt a settled way of life

    • spread the gospel amongst themselves

  • defeated the Afonso V and the Portuguese during and after the War of the Castilian Succession

  • sponsored Christopher Columbus’s expedition to the West Indies (Americas) after being persuaded by him

  • took possession of Malaga, which up until their rule had been an independent Muslim principality

  • took possession of Granada, the last Muslim kingdom in Spain, thus ending the Reconquista

  • allowed Andalusian (Spanish) Muslims

    • to emigrate freely

    • to keep all arms except firearms

    • to continue to maintain their religion free from interference

    • to continue to enjoy their own communal life

    • to continue to be able to maintain their own judicial system and local officials

  • issued the Alhambra Decree

    • This was a royal edict decreeing the expulsion of all Jews from Spain

    • 150,000-200,000 Jews had just four months to leave Spain after years of growing anti-Jewish feelings

  • issued an edict ordering the expulsion from the Kingdom of Castile of all Moors who had not yet been baptized as Christians

  • signed the “Treaty of Barcelona” with King Charles VIII of France

    • This allowed Spain to regain Cerdagne and Roussillon, which were previously pledged to King Louis XI of France by King John of Aragon, the namesake’s father and predecessor

  • signed the “Treaty of Tordesillas” with King John II of Portugal

    • This treaty drew an imaginary demarcation line down the Western Atlantic, which (in hindsight) slightly favored Spain since the treaty allowed Spain to retain discovered land west of the demarcation line

  • have a son named John who they had married to Margaret, the daughter of Maximilian of the Holy Roman Empire

    • He later died while they were still ruling

  • established the House of Trade / Casa de Contratación

• Under he and Isabella’s reign,

  • Hispaniola / Santo Domingo was claimed and founded

• Under his reign,

  • Puerto Rico was claimed and founded

  • Santiago / (Spanish) Jamaica was claimed and founded

  • Cuba was claimed and founded

  • Florida was claimed

• After Isabella’s death, he continued to rule alongside his namesake female successor, but in which he had effective power; he

  • was granted rights by Pope Julius II to establish and build churches, especially in the Americas (New World / New Spain)

  • founded the Council of the Indies (although his successor may have founded it instead)

  • gave official authorization for Spanish settlers / colonists to import African slaves into America (New World / New Spain), which began in Hispaniola via directives issued by the namesake to Nicholas de Ovando and Cuba

  • and his forces occupied the entire kingdom of Navarre; having seized Pamplona and St. Jean Pied de Port

• After Isabella’s death, under his reign,

  • Spain occupied the island of Penon, in the bay of Algiers

  • The Laws of Burgos were issued

• However, he was the weaker partner in their co-rulership

  • He had to live in Castile and was not able to leave without Isabella’s permission

  • He could not wage war without Isabella’s advice and consent

  • Aragonese could not be appointed to the council, only Castilians

• He died and was succeeded by the Habsburgs, which up to that point had fused with the House of Tratsamara

1504 - 1555 - Joanna (All Facts)

• 2nd Queen and Co-Ruler of Spain

  • She was nicknamed “The Mad”

  • She was the daughter of her predecessors

  • She married Philip IV in order to strengthen ties between the House of Habsburg and the House of Tratsamara, laying the foundations for Habsburg rule of Spain

1506 - Philip IV (All Facts)

• 2nd Co-Ruler of Spain

  • He was nicknamed “The Fair” / “The Handsome”

  • He was the son of Emperor Maximilian (and inherited the Netherlands from his mother, Mary of Burgundy)

  • He was the husband of Joanna, daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabela of Spain

  • His marriage to Joanna strengthened ties between the House of Habsburg and the House of Tratsamara, laying the foundations for his successor to rule over Spain

• He died at Burgos

1507 - 1517 - Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros / Cardinal Cisneros (All Facts)

• Cardinal and Statesman of Spain

• He served as regent of Spain for a time

• He banned the importation of African slaves into the Americas

1490 - 1521 - Juan de Padilla (All Facts)

• Leader of the Revolt of the Comuneros against King Charles

• He and his forces were defeated by the royalist forces in the Battle of Villalar and he was executed as a result

1480 - 1536 - Antonio de Leyva (All Facts)

• Spanish Governor of Pavia and Commander of the Spanish forces in the Battle of Pavia

• He had built new fortifications inside Pavia’s walls, enabling French troops to be routed by the city’s defenders

1516 - 1700 - House of Habsburg (All Facts)

• House which founded the Spanish Empire

1516 - 1556 - Charles (Before Reign and Consolidation of Power)

• 3rd King of Spain and First King and Founder of the House of Habsburg of Spain

• His reign marked the beginning of Habsburg Spain

• He was the son of his predecessors Philip and Joanna

• He was crowned King of Spain after making a sea voyage around the coast from Brussels

• He succeeded to the throne on the death of his namesake predecessor and grandfather

• He inherited a troubled throne as rival noblemen sought rebellion and Spain’s North African colonies were lost to Spain due to insurrection

• He came to the Spanish throne with much experience, having

  • already ruled the Netherlands by the age of seven

  • learned Spanish language and customs from his Spanish tutor Luis de Vaca and Dutch teacher Adrian of Utrecht

• He consolidated his power upon the death of his predecessor and father Philip by locking Joanna away under close watch and assuming the regency of Spain

• Upon assumption to the throne, he showed much confidence, telling the Spanish people to “be good and loyal subjects” and that he will “be a good prince to you”

• Upon his reign, he also became Holy Roman Emperor as the V, out-electing King Henry VIII of England and King Francis of France from the position

1516 - 1556 - Charles (All Facts)

• 3rd King of Spain and First King and Founder of the House of Habsburg of Spain

• During his reign,

  • He appointed Hernan Cortes as First Governor of New Spain (Mexico)

  • He returned to Spain after three years of civil unrest, somewhat marked by the Revolt of the Comuneros against him and his administration, in order to provide political stability again

    • He was pardoned and he decided not to withdraw privileges from cities that joined the rebels’ “santa junta,” all of which contributed to the ease of tensions between him and the Spanish people

  • He had Spain send a new expedition against the Maya into the isthmus of Tehuantepec in response to an appeal to Spain by the Cakchiquel natives there

  • He had a defense fleet organized for the Indies

  • He granted Francisco Pizzaro the titles of Governor and “captain-general” of Peru in order to secure his own support for Pizzaro

• During his reign, he signed

  • The Treaty of Madrid (with King Francis of France)

  • The Treaty of Zaragoza (with King John III of Portugal)

  • The Treaty of Barcelona (with Pope Clement VII of the Papacy)

• Under his reign,

  • Mexico (New Spain) and Mexico City were claimed and founded

  • Peru was claimed and founded

  • Florida was claimed

• Under his reign,

  • the last of Spain’s Moors were expelled

    • they had been working on the great estates of the Valencian plains

  • chocolate was introduced to Spain from Mexico

  • Spain took Tlemcen and killed the Barbary pirate Aruj al-Din Barbarossa

  • Barbary pirate Khayr al-Din Barbarossa repulsed a Spanish offensive on Algiers from the island of Penon

  • A group of Spanish settlers in Cumana (modern-day Venezuela) were massacred by the natives there