Imperio español - History Lab

File on the merits and services of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:33:04 +0000

File on the merits and services of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, containing the following documents: 1.- Memorial (apparently in Cervantes’ own handwriting) in which he sets out his merits and services performed in Italy, in the battle of Lepanto and elsewhere, on the occasion of requesting the granting of any of the four vacant posts he sets out: the accounting of the New Kingdom of Granada, the governorship of Soconusco, the accounting of the galleys of Cartagena de Indias, or the corregimiento of the city of La Paz (1590). Folios 1-2 2.- Certification given by the Duke of Sesa confirming the merits and services of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1578). Folio 3. 2.- Information at the request of Rodrigo de Cervantes, father of Miguel de Cervantes, made in Madrid before a court mayor to prove that he is his son, that he is noble, the services he contracted in Italy, that he was captive in Algiers and that because his father is poor he will not be able to ransom him (1578). Folios 4-13. 3.- Information made in Algiers before the Trinitarian Redemptor Father Fray Juan Gil and before the notary Pedro de Rivera, at the request of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, in which the services he has done and the great labours he suffered in his captivity are stated. All verified with the certification of the said redeeming father (1580). This information was made a few days after the rescue of Cervantes. Folios 14-52.

The post File on the merits and services of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra first appeared on History Lab.

Plan of the order of battle of the armies at the Battle of Lepanto

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:32:58 +0000

The first of the Holy League’s objectives (1571) was to recruit a navy of galleys to confront the Turkish navy. In the end, 206 galleys and 6 galleys (large, heavily armed galleys) under the command of Juan de Austria, Luis de Requesens, Álvaro de Bazán, Gianandrea Doria, Agostino Barbarigo and Marcantonio Colonna were ordered. On 7 October 1571 they were confronted by just over 300 Turkish ships off the coast of Naupactos in the Gulf of Patras. The League’s superiority was due to its cannon (the Turks much preferred to sweep the decks with arrows) and the quality of the Spanish infantry on board. The battle was nothing more than a battle of infantry on ships: the League fought in three blocks: one along the coast, with Venetian galleys commanded by Agostino Barbarigo; one in the centre, commanded directly by John of Austria and Marcantonio Colonna; and one towards the open sea, under the command of Gianandrea Doria. The reserve was commanded by Álvaro de Bazán. In the central clash the Turkish admiralty ship, the Sultana, almost took the League’s admiral, the Royal, but the help of Marcantonio Colonna’s galleys reversed the situation and the Turkish admiralty was taken, annihilating all its crew, including Admiral Ali Paschá.By the end of the day the League had sunk 50 ships, taken about 140, taken 10,000 Turkish prisoners and freed the Turkish prisoners.despite the resounding victory (“the highest occasion that the past centuries have seen, the present nor the future centuries hope to see”, in the words of Miguel de Cervantes – who fought on the galley Marquesa – in the prologue to his Don Quixote) neither the League nor Spain nor Venice knew how to profit from it. Two years later the Turkish navy had completely recovered and Venice ceded Cyprus to the Ottoman Empire.

The post Plan of the order of battle of the armies at the Battle of Lepanto first appeared on History Lab.

Philip II on horseback

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:30:33 +0000

Philip II, known by the nickname of “the Prudent”, was Spanish monarch from 15 January 1556 until his death in 1598. His reign was characterised by territorial expansion across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and for being the first time that an empire integrated territories from all inhabited continents. During his reign, the Spanish monarchy became the leading power in Europe and the Spanish Empire reached its peak. Since his death, he has been haunted by a black legend that portrays him as fanatical and despotic, but he has also been depicted as an archetype of virtue. Under his rule he faced various international wars with France, the Netherlands, England and the Ottoman Empire, among others, and he also had to fight uprisings within Spain itself, such as the rebellion of the Alpujarras (1568-1571), which had important consequences for the Moorish population. In this portrait Rubens is inspired by Titian’s 1551 portrait of Charles V, the father of Philip II. The monarch is depicted on horseback, holding the baton of commander of the armies. In the background is a scene of the battle of Saint Quentin, an important Spanish victory over the French that took place on Saint Lawrence’s Day in 1557. Above the king is a winged Victory crowning the monarch with laurel. This portrait would precede numerous other equestrian portraits of successive monarchs of the Spanish Crown, in a similar pose.

The post Philip II on horseback first appeared on History Lab.

Ornamental drawing with motifs alluding to the greatness of Spain and royal magnificence

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:30:14 +0000

During the Ancien Régime, kings and monarchs enjoyed the status of absolute sovereigns (Absolute Monarchy), concentrating all powers under their command. This image depicts the greatness of the Spanish Crown as a star as powerful as the sun (at the top). The central part reads: “Never has the Spanish monarch known a shadow in his empire, which shines brighter in both hemispheres than the sun itself”. In the lower part, supported by two lions, we can see the representation of the earth, divided into two hemispheres. The drawing represents the power enjoyed by the Spanish Empire during the Modern Age, the most notable period being from the end of the 16th century to the middle of the 17th century, during the reigns of Philip II, Philip III and Philip IV. During the reign of Philip II it was said that “the sun never set on the Empire”, as it was sufficiently dispersed to always have some area with sunlight. This empire had its nerve centre in Madrid, the seat of the Court, with Seville being the fundamental point from which the overseas possessions were organised.

The post Ornamental drawing with motifs alluding to the greatness of Spain and royal magnificence first appeared on History Lab.

Evolution of the Havana garrison (Cuba, 1701-1746)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:48 +0000

During the War of the Spanish Succession, numerous human resources were mobilised in the Indies in favour of the French pretender. But Philip V was aware of the logistical impossibility of transporting large contingents of troops from the Americas to the mainland and maintaining them adequately during the journey. Nevertheless, the military mobilisation in the Indies was large enough to rid the continent of foreign interference during this period. The resource shows the evolution of the Havana garrison, as measured by salaries, between 1701 and 1746. From a first stage of maintenance in numbers, with spending oscillating in a constant range, a new regulation was implemented in 1719 that sought to improve the isolation and permanence of the soldiers in Havana. For 20 years the average number of men was 800, a figure that increased exponentially with the Anglo-Spanish war that began in 1739 in the Caribbean. Known as the War of the Seat, the conflict forced more troops to be garrisoned and, except for the occasional episode of bankruptcy in 1742, the bonds enjoyed good health both because of the aid they received from New Spain (situated) and because of the administration of their own internal coffers. The withdrawal of the English fleet from the Caribbean eased Havana’s financial burden, showing a slight decrease at the end of 1746.

The post Evolution of the Havana garrison (Cuba, 1701-1746) first appeared on History Lab.

Evolution of the garrison of Cartagena de Indias, 1700-1746

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:48 +0000

The evolution of the garrison at Cartagena de Indias, unlike that of Havana, showed a stable trend until the outbreak of British hostilities in the War of the Seat (1739-1748). The garrison numbered around 150-200 men, a tiny figure in relation to the importance and size of the territory to be defended, reflecting the old system of semi-private recruitment. Despite this, the English crown’s maritime superiority was only countered by the effective tactical and defensive work of the Spanish overseas provinces. From 1736 onwards, the garrison’s military expenditure increased, a build-up that lasted until 1740-1741, when Cartagena, the main port of the viceroyalty of New Granada, was attacked and besieged. The Spanish resistance, led by Blas de Lezo, resulted in a defensive victory for the port and the region. A year later, in 1742, Cartagena was able to receive new financial remittances in the form of silver from Santa Fe and Quito, thus ensuring defensive continuity against another possible English attack.

The post Evolution of the garrison of Cartagena de Indias, 1700-1746 first appeared on History Lab.

Imperial Relief System. The evolution of military expenditure in the Manila coffers, 1580-1660

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:41 +0000

Spain’s introduction of America into the world system gave birth to the Spanish Empire through the conquest of numerous territories. Parts of Asia also came under the umbrella of the Empire. The Imperial articulation had its enemies at the international level. In the case of the Philippines, between 1600 and 1624, the Dutch Armada carried out nine operations aimed at fragmenting Spain. Important actions such as the bombardment of Iloilo, the siege of Manila in 1616 and the blockade of the city in 1621 and 1624 caused the local economy to suffer considerably. The evolution of military spending showed exponential growth during the first half of the 17th century, a time of increased Dutch pressure. The Philippines, a Spanish sovereign territory that was self-financed by the revenue collected from the Islands, was financially supported by the Empire in what is known as “situados”. A situado was, in the author’s words, the transfer executed from a surplus to a fiscal deficit in the imperial tax pool. Aid to the Philippines from the Mexican viceroyalty was used to finance defence and troop costs. Increased military spending led to the pacification of hostilities by protecting Spanish and Philippine interests in the West Indies.

The post Imperial Relief System. The evolution of military expenditure in the Manila coffers, 1580-1660 first appeared on History Lab.

Ordinary revenues of the Peninsula and the Indies for the Spanish Monarchy, 1763-1811

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:41 +0000

During the Modern Age the Hispanic Monarchy was financed by its subjects settled in the Iberian Peninsula and in the imperial provinces overseas. From 1763 to 1811, the territories that contributed most to the General Treasury of Spain showed an inversion: while the peninsular crowns were the main sources of financing in ordinary revenues, the French invasion that triggered the War of Independence caused the contribution of these territories to fall sharply; for their part, revenues from the Americas were maintained and only surpassed the peninsular contribution because of this situation. However, as the author points out, ordinary revenue to the General Treasury from the Americas did not include revenue in kind. Thus, if we add ordinary income to extraordinary income, the aforementioned reversal of contributions occurred in the 1790s, when the transfer of silver from New Spain accounted for 80% of total American remittances.

The post Ordinary revenues of the Peninsula and the Indies for the Spanish Monarchy, 1763-1811 first appeared on History Lab.

Foreign merchants and traders in Spain (1764)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:13 +0000

Imperial Spain welcomed large numbers of merchants from other parts of the European continent. The resource deals with the number and percentage of these traders on Spanish peninsular territory in 1764. In quantitative terms, the presence of French merchants stands out (913, 61.5% of the total of 1,483). The arrival of the Bourbons to the Spanish throne led to the growth of Spanish-Galician trade with respect to the Habsburg dynasty; Spain was the main market where France placed its products. However, this level of trade declined as the century progressed, but the established French continued to have great negotiating and commercial influence. The Maltese were the second largest group: 214 (14.4%), far behind the Genoese (100, 6.7%) and the Irish (52, 3.5%). Due to the thalassocratic characteristics of the Spanish Empire, merchants tended to settle in port or transit areas.

The post Foreign merchants and traders in Spain (1764) first appeared on History Lab.

Potosí. Example of a colonial space

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:11 +0000

Chapter of the series “Horizontes Ciencias Sociales”, part of the Encuentro channel, broadcast by the Ministry of Education (Argentina), which explains the process of mining the immense silver deposits by the Spanish colonists. This exploitation had a lot to do with the growth of the city of Potosí, a city that reached similar dimensions to European cities such as London. It also tells what life was like for the mine workers, in this case the Ayaconas Indians, and how their work equipment was made. Of course, the great human toll of the hard work in the mines is not overlooked. Gradually, guilds began to form around the exploitation. In this context, inequalities increased as a result of the wealth and the increase in capital of a few bourgeois merchants whose social ascent had repercussions in Europe, especially in Spain.

The post Potosí. Example of a colonial space first appeared on History Lab.