Spanish and Portuguese

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Overview

Spain and Portugal built the first empires with a truly global reach. Portuguese ships rounded Africa and reached India in 1498, while Spain, after Columbus in 1492, took over much of the Americas and later the Philippines. Their rule moved silver, spices, sugar and enslaved people across oceans, linked continents in one trading system, and set the pattern for European overseas empires. They also show how large inflows of wealth can hide weak productive foundations.

Context

Both kingdoms emerged from the Iberian reconquest of lands held by Muslim rulers, which ended in 1492 with the fall of Granada. This tradition of religious war, plus experience in Atlantic sailing, drove exploration. Rivalry between the two crowns was managed by the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, which divided unclaimed lands between them under papal sanction.