Economic Factors that Led to the Rise of the Spanish Empire Essay Example

Zaragoza were among these cities.

In the 16th and the 17th century, Spain dominated the books of power in Europe. Research shows that this nation is ranked among the top in terms of its economic status.There are many economic factors that led to the rise of the Spanish empire. These factors include the following;TradeThis is one of the factors that led to the rise of the Spanish Empire. Through trade Spain acquired many possessions. This was when Charles I and Philip II.

Charles reigned in the year 1516-1556 while Philip reigned in the year 1556-1598.There was the expansion of the Spanish Empire during this period. In fact it expanded until Central America, Eastern Asia and southern Italy. Even Philippines, parts of Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg were included in Spain. During this time many discoveries were made.

Many people said that the sun never set in Spain. During this time there was the start of colonialism by the European. There were very many explorations in Spain during this time. They were both by land and by the sea. Very many routes of trade were opened up   even across the seas and the Oceans.

[2]The Spanish people during this time traded in spices, agricultural plants like bananas, potatoes, coffee, sugarcane, maize and beans. They also traded in luxuries with other nations. When the Spanish people explored other parts of the world they really gained a lot. They learnt from other cultures as their sailors and soldiers and traders traveled to other nations. Even the missionaries brought back vast knowledge which helped in the expansion of Spain.

Trade is one of the factors that made the

Spanish Empire to rise. This trade extended up to the Atlantic Ocean.There was also trade between the Spanish Empire and the Americans. It happened through the Pacific Ocean .The Spanish passed through Philippines, Mexico and Asia Pacific in search of trade.

Spanish Empire traded in goods like gold. This empire traded in several products like silk, spices, porcelain, sugar, silver among other products with the Americans. This made the Spanish Empire very rich and to rise economically. TheSpanish empire even had a board that governed their trade with other states.

Its production was also regulated. It is good to note that there was also slave trade practiced in the Spanish Empire. However their slave trade was mixed with a lot of cruelty. The African slaves were bought from markets like the Seville market. After some time, they were sourced directly from Africa. During this time they used ships to travel.

[3]Surprisingly this slave trade was legalized.  There were times when the Spanish empire used illegal means to get the slaves. This was through smuggling. Most of the gold and the silver from Spain were traded with Asia.

These goods went through Turkey, China and Philippines. The commercial sector in the Spanish empire improved to admirable standards. In fact many products were sold at very profitable prices in the international and national markets. The Spanish empire had a trade house. This was used to give licenses and to carry out the taxation of the trade.

These taxes really improved the economy of the empire.MiningIn the 16th century the Spanish Empire mined gold and silver .This happened in the mines that belonged to the Americans. The Spanish

Empire managed to carry out this activity by the financial help of Hasburg Spain.

Research shows that several mines were opened up. In the year 1546mines were opened in Potosi, Zacatecas and in Mexico. These were very big mines that generated a lot of wealth for the Spanish Empire. During the 16th and the 17th century there was remarkable growth and rise in the Spanish Empire. So much was the rise until it was termed or associated with Gold.

In this century, Spain had an approximate of US $ 1.5 trillion of these precious metals. They were silver and gold and were sourced from New Spain. At this time the Spanish Empire was termed as a place where there was no setting of the sun. This was because people in this empire seemed to be so busy like they were working for twenty four hours.

[4]When the Spanish Empire overthrew the Aztecs, it gained. This was by having the gold stores that even belonged to Mexico. There was also the conquering of the Inca civilization. This civilization existed in Peru and it was very rich in gold. The Spanish Empire in the sixteenth century used the Americans as laborers.

They worked in the silver and the gold mines. These silver and gold in the Spanish empire contributed a great deal to its rise. Through this there was even the rise of the banking industry in the Spanish empire. There was expansion in the commercial sector.

Gold was coveted by many people in the 16th and the 17th century. It was even used by the artists in the Spanish empire. The Spanish also used gold as a

medium of exchange.AgricultureAgriculture was practiced in the Spanish empire .

Initially farming was just practiced on small scale. There were just peasant farmers in the Spanish empire. After some time, the farming improved because the slaves were used as laborers. This helped the empire to rise very fast. The empire used the Americans to work in their plantations. Since it practiced slave trade, it used the slaves to dig.

Plough and harvest the planted crops. The Spanish simply supervised the work. The Spanish were so cruel to these slaves because they never provided any protection to them. In the 1500s agriculture was practiced in the Spanish empire.

The Spanish empire had haciendas. These were agricultural estates. [5]There was slavery that was practiced in the plantations or the estates. During this time the Spanish empire relied so much on the slaves from Africa. The Africans were used as laborers in these farms after the other slaves died in large numbers.

This was due to their being treated badly by the Spanish people. The Spanish empire mostly planted a lot of sugarcane in their plantations. This sugar cane was very marketable at that time. Slaves were used for cutting sugarcane in the plantations. There were also sugar mills in the Spanish empire.

These friends were used in working in these sugar mills. The sugar can e that was harvested used to be traded with other goods from the neighboring nations. There was an abundance of crops in this empire after a long period if time. There was the rearing of the silkworm in the Spanish empire too. This was used to make silk which was then traded with

other products.

Later on the Spanish started growing cotton in their farms. With the help of the African slaves they also incorporated the growing of wheat.FishingFishing was practiced in the Spanish empire though on a smaller scale. It was mostly practiced in the Chuuk Islands. There were diverse types of fish that were fished.

For example the tilapia, mud fish among others. The Spanish people used the fish as food. Sometimes the fish was traded with the neighboring countries and therefore was a source of income to the Spanish empire.It is good to note that there was slave trade in Spain. Slaves were used as laborers and even in the fishing. The Chuuk islands were known for the good fish.

After fishing some of the fish was immediately cooked while the rest was preserved. The preservation was done by smoking. The smoked fish could then be traded in exchange of other products like spices. This economic activity made the Spanish empire very famous. It highly influenced its rise to be a rich and powerful empire. [6]PastoralistAmong the different tribes in the Spanish empire, there were some that were pastoralists.

They kept various domestic animals. Such animals included sheep, goats and cows. This knowledge was learnt from other nations that the people in the Spanish empire explored. In fact some of them were nomads.

This means that they moved from place to place in search of greener pastures. When the Spanish people colonized states they carried along with them the sheep, goat and the cows too. These animals were also exchanged with other products like silver and luxuries.TourismDue to its popularity, the Spanish empire attracted many

tourists. Many people visited to see the place where the sun actually never set.

They wanted to see the gold mines as they bought it and went with it to their nations. Through this the Spanish empire really prospered. There was vast knowledge that was brought in the Spanish empire by the explorers. (Stradling, 1988)ConclusionThis was one of the largest empires in history. The Spanish empire was very powerful in nature. There were several economic activities that this empire involved in.

This included trade in various products. The Spanish people traded gold, silver, luxuries spices among others. This empire even had a house of trade that taxed the trade and monitored its activities. There was farming in this empire. They planted sugarcane, wheat among others.

Fishing, tourism was also done but on small scale. These factors contributed the rise of this empire.