Spanish Inquisition, Society, and American Colonization: 15th-18th Centuries

The Spanish Inquisition and its Impact on Society

The Court of the Inquisition was created in the 18th century, established by papal authority to eliminate witchcraft and superstition. It was introduced in Europe and the Crown of Aragon. The Catholic Monarchs reinforced it when it began to weaken, making it an instrument of ideological control and religious unity.

They took the decision to expel the Jews who did not accept conversion to Catholicism. Jews could not participate in public life and were forced to live only among themselves in Jewish neighborhoods. This affected about 150,000 people in Castile and 30,000 in Aragon. Their properties were confiscated, and many agreed to be baptized to avoid expulsion.

The Catholic Monarchs also wanted to conquer Granada as a war against the infidels. Initially, Muslims were guaranteed the maintenance of their customs, property, law, and religion. However, Cisneros ultimately imposed baptism as a duty. Those who refused were forced into exile, and the use of their language and customs was forbidden.

Society and Economy in 15th-18th Century Spain

There was significant inequality among individuals, particularly between the nobility and the clergy (the privileged classes) and the plebeians or commoners. The primary economic activity was agriculture, especially grain and vineyards. The nobility and the church owned most of the arable land and did not pay taxes. Their crimes received lesser punishments, and they were entitled to dress differently.

Commoners, who made up the majority of the population, consisted of laborers and peasants without property, although they could use the land. They were subjected to manorial rights, and their living conditions were very poor. In years of poor harvests, hunger and mortality increased. Control of land by the nobles increased, further worsening the living conditions of farmers.

Catalonia was the only place where the nobles did not exert as much control. In cities like Barcelona, Valencia, Toledo, Valladolid, and Seville, the population increased, and craft activities achieved great importance.

Conquest, Colonization, and Exploitation of America

Columbus and the Domination of the Caribbean

Since the conquest of the Canary Islands, the Spaniards had opened routes in the Atlantic, but the Portuguese were dominant in sea routes and were pioneers in travel and discovery. Christopher Columbus presented a proposal, first to the Portuguese court and then to the Catholic Monarchs, based on the sphericity of the Earth. This proposal aimed to open new routes to the west to reach Asian lands in search of gold and spices.

Initially, this proposal was rejected by Portugal and by Isabella of Castile, but she finally agreed and provided everything necessary for the trip. Columbus signed a contract with the monarchs, called the Capitulations of Santa Fe, which stipulated that the enterprise would provide benefits and titles for the discovery of the new route.

On August 3, 1492, three small ships left Huelva, making a stopover in the Canaries. They reached land on October 12 of that year. The expectations of wealth generated by the new route led to the next voyage consisting of 17 ships and 1,200 men. In one of his expeditions, Columbus reached the shores of the Americas. He died in 1506, still convinced that he had reached Asian lands.

By 1511, the conquest of the larger islands was completed, and the entire West Indies were under the control of the monarchy. The riches discovered were not as expected, as the population was small and the climate was not ideal for agriculture. However, the prospect of finding a new continent with a large expanse of land was evident.