Europe and the Age of Discovery: The Catholic Monarchs

Europe at the End of the 15th Century

The signs of change included:

• Economic growth: Laid the foundations for a new system known as capitalism.
• Authoritarian monarchies: Accompanied the birth of the modern state.
• Scientific and geographical discoveries.
• Intellectual development: Represented by the culture of humanism and Renaissance art.

Authoritarian monarchies emerged, utilizing the standing army, the Royal Treasury, and the display of symbols of power. Major scientific advances of the time occurred in the art of navigation and printing.

The Spain of the Catholic Monarchs

The Catholic Monarchs were Isabel I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Their reign brought the dynastic union of their crowns, though each maintained its own institutions.

• Territorial Expansion: The Castilian Reconquista ended in 1492 with the conquest of Granada. Thereafter, Castile focused on the Atlantic, while Aragon oriented its objectives toward the Mediterranean, particularly Italy.
• Authority and Unity: The monarchs sought to impose authority over other powers and ensure religious unity through the expulsion of Muslims and Jews and the creation of the Inquisition.
• Peninsular Union: With the addition of Navarre, they achieved the union of all peninsular kingdoms, with the exception of Portugal.
• Dynastic Strategy: To increase the assets of the dynasty, Isabel and Ferdinand married their children into major European royal houses.

The Great Discoveries

Factors that enabled these findings included improvements in navigation, the development of the capitalist system, and ideological motivations, such as the propagation of the Christian faith. In 1492, sailing westward, Christopher Columbus reached a new territory that was later named the Americas.

Exploration and Distribution of the New World

• Treaty of Tordesillas: Castile and Portugal divided their areas of influence in the world.
• Land Distribution: Settlers were granted land, and indigenous people were assigned to work these parcels.

Pre-Columbian America

Key features of these civilizations included:

• An economy founded on agriculture.
• Monumental cities and highly hierarchical societies led by a supreme authority.
• A clear desire for territorial expansion.
• Practice of elaborate and organized religions.
• Notable cultural and scientific development.