The Spanish empire originated with the marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469, uniting Spain. Their daughter married into the powerful Hapsburg family of Europe, beginning Hapsburg rule over Spain from the 16th-17th century. During this period, Spain became the most powerful nation in Europe through its vast overseas colonies supplying wealth and establishing Catholic dominance. However, wars and economic troubles weakened Spain, leading to the Bourbon succession after the War of Spanish Succession in the early 1700s.

1. Spanish empire Anthony Knapp HIST. 140

2. Early History of Spain Spain was originally settled by settled by the Phoenicians, later Greeks, and later Carthaginians. Roman Republic later occupied it and after the fall the Visigoths invaded Hispania. In 711 AD the Moors from Northern Africa, which started the Reconquista, which lasted till 1450’s The two key figures was Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand Aragon, who were declared the “Catholic Monarchs by Pope Alexander VI In order to ensure political alliance Isabella arrange political marriages . Her second daughter Juana married into the Hapsburg family. This was the start of Hapsburg rule in Spain

3. Habsburg Spain The Habsburg family was extremely powerful family in Central Europe that are connected with the Holy Roman Empire. Hapsburg Spain lasted spanned from the 16th to the 17th century, in which Spain became the most powerful nation in Europe with the largest over sea empire. This was considered the “Golden Age” of Spain. Habsburg Spain ended with the Spanish Succession War, which Louis XIV won and set up the Bourbon rule, which has remained in Spanish Monarchy to this day.

4. History of Hapsburg empire The first of Hapsburg was King Charles I of Spain with the death of Ferdinand. In 1519 with the death of Maximilian I King Charles I inherited the Hapsburg territory in Europe and became the Holy Roman Emperor Charles the V. Although he spent majority of the time out of Spain He split his empire into two parts. Frist was Spain with all land processions overseas and the Mediterranean. The Second was the Holy Roman Empire which included Netherlands. His Successor was Philip II of Spain who saw himself as the champion of Catholicism and wage war on all the heretics including the rebelling of Calvinist in the Netherlands. All of this was supported by the Gold and Sliver flowing from New Spain. Although it still caused bankruptcy and place the burden on Castile. (1576) And Again in 1596 Various of wars for the next fifty years wreak the ecomeny The last Hapsburg king was Charles II who died on Nov. 1 1700

5. Spanish Empire origin The Spanish Empire started with the conquest of the Canary's Islands in 1410 by Henry II of Castile In 1492 Columbus gain the crowns support and discovered Hispaniola By 1500’s the colony on Hispaniola had became successful. Later Cuba and Puerto Rico were both discovered by people dissatisfied with Hispaniola. The Frist settlement was made by Balboa called Darien and then discovered the Pacific Ocean and led the exploration of the “new ocean The goals of Hapsburg Spain was to gain access to the resources of America, and to spread the Catholicism

6. The Beginning of the end In the 1790 the last of Hapsburg King Died and was succed by the King Louis XIV of France, although because of peace treaties he could combine the two crowns or portion Spanish processions Also the turmoil caused by the American and French Revolutions Spain could not recovered to a power that it once had.

7. Spanish empire legacy The Spanish Empire was once the largest and powerful overseas empire. Also Spanish became second largest language in the World The Spanish Empire also serve as the foundation of a world trade.