Spain and Its Colonies (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

J. W. Root

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0267633173 ISBN 13: 9780267633173

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Spain's vast colonial story, from Columbus to crises of decolonization, explained through policy, power, and people.

This book examines how Spain’s approach to empire shaped the New World. It covers why Columbus sought patronage in Castile, how religious conviction and royal politics influenced exploration, and how a rigid system of governance tied the colonies to the mother country. It also explains the mercantile framework that kept trade tightly controlled and how that system affected both steel and silk in Seville, as well as the distant corners of the Americas.

Beyond the early voyages, the text surveys the long arc of conquest, administration, and the eventual strains that led to independence movements. It weighs the prospects of Cuba, the Philippines, and other territories against competing maps of power, finance, and international diplomacy in a changing world.

• How Columbus gained support and the rivalries with Portugal and other courts.
• The Crown’s rigid system, Inquisition, and central authority over distant lands.
• Mercantile policies, exclusive ports, and the Seville-centered trade network.
• The evolving questions of succession, imperial reach, and potential futures for the colonies.

Ideal for readers of empire, colonial policy, and the long history of Spanish America.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0267633173
• ISBN 13: 9780267633173
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 118