Discovery of Silver in the Americas & Spanish Exploration Impacting Political/Religious Institutions

Discovery of Silver in the Americas

• Spain greatly benefited from the discovery of silver in the Americas, leading to an increase in its wealth.
• However, the influx of silver also caused financial problems for the Spanish people.
• Silver led to inflation, which increased prices.
• The increased prices made Spanish goods more expensive in international markets.
• This reduced the competitiveness of Spanish goods.

Spanish Exploration and Conquest (1491-1607)

• Briefly explain ONE specific historical example of how Spanish exploration or conquest affected the political or religious institutions of the Americas in the period from 1491 to 1607.