Spanish Explorers of the Elizabethan Age The Renaissance & Elizabethan Age of Exploration was at first dominated by the brave Spanish Explorers. The Renaissance saw the success of the Spanish explorers in acquiring monopolies on much of the Eastern spice trade and their expeditions to the New World brought great wealth and power to Spain. The new discoveries made by the Spanish Explorers brought untold riches in terms of gold and silver and spices but it also brought power and influence...
The Motives of the Spanish Explorers The motives of the Spanish Explorers and their patrons were prompted by:
Wealth - gold, silver and spices
Power
Prestige
Increasing opportunities for Spanish trade
Spreading the Catholic Religion
Building a Spanish Empire
The people of Spain adhered to the Catholic religion. Many were fanatical about their religion - the Spanish Inquisition was an example of this. The idea of spreading the Catholic faith to heathen races was seen as a primary reason for the Spanish Explorers, including the Conquistadors, to undertake voyages of discovery.
Early Spanish Explorers The early Spanish explorers established the overseas Empire of Spain. The Empire dates to 1469 when Princess Isabella of Castile married Ferdinand of Aragon. They became Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V of Spain and they began to build an empire. In 1492 the King and Queen of Spain financed the voyage of Christopher Columbus to America, the New World. In 1494 all of the lands in the New World were claimed by Spain.
Famous Spanish Explorers A biography and timeline about the most famous Spanish explorers have been developed with facts, history and information about the famous Spanish Explorers.Amerigo Vespucci was born an Italian but became a naturalised Spaniard. Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa in Italy but made his explorations working for Spain. Estevanico was a black African explorer who was enslaved by the Spanish. The most famous Spanish explorers are detailed in the above TimelineThe most famous Spanish explorers, or Explorers who were employed by the Spanish, can be accessed via the following links:
Timeline of Famous Spanish Explorers in the New World There were many Spanish explorers to the New World
Famous Spanish Explorers in the New World
Famous Early Spanish Explorers (1492 - 1520)
1492: Christopher Columbus voyage to America, the New World, was financed by the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain 1492: Christopher Columbus visits the Dominican Republic, which he names Hispaniola ( translates as Little Spain) 1492: Haiti and Jamaica discovered by Christopher Columbus 1493: The island of Montserrat, in the Caribbean Sea, was named after the mountain by Christopher Columbus 1494: Spain and Portugal claimed the lands of the New World 1496: Spaniards set up first Spanish colony in the Dominican Republic and Santo Domingo was founded by Bartholomew Columbus, which subsequently served as the capital of all Spanish colonies in South America 1498: Christopher Columbus landed in Venezuela 1502: Columbus sails on his fourth and last voyage to the New World (Honduras and Panama) 1502: Spanish explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas visits Panama, which was home to Cuna, Choco, Guaymi and other indigenous peoples 1502: Christopher Columbus lands at "Cariari," now known as Puerto Limon 1513: Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Spanish explorer, crossed the Isthmus of Panama and claimed the Pacific Ocean for Spain 1516: Juan Diaz de Solis became the first European to land in Uruguay 1517: Spanish expedition under Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba (1475-1526) lands on the Yucatan coast in Mexico 1519: Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes (1485-1547) founds Veracruz in Mexico 1519: Cortes enters Tenochtitlan and captures Moctezuma II ( aka Montezuma ) in Mexico
Famous Spanish Explorers in the New World (1520 - 1570) For specific facts and information about America please refer to Colonial America
1520: The Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro led an expedition into Peru 1523: Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado led a Spanish expedition from Mexico and invaded Guatemala 1524: Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado lands in El Salvador in Guatamala 1525: Spain begins conquest of Puerto Rica (Rich Coast) 1528: Juan de Zumarraga (1468-1548) arrives as bishop of Mexico City and begins native conversion to Catholicism 1535: Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro overthrew the Incan Empire and Ecuador came under the rule of Spain 1535: The Spanish conquistadors colonize the area of Venezuela 1536: 1538 Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada (1509-1579) led an expedition into the Andes and obtained massive amounts of emeralds and gold in Colombia 1540: Spanish conquistador Cabeza de Vaca was appointed governor of the Brazilian province of Rio de la Plata 1541: Pedro de Valdivia begins Spanish conquest of Chile and founds Santiago 1542: Spain invades Belize and conquest occurs 1545: The Spanish conquer Bolivia 1546: Rebellion and the Spanish are forced to leave Belize 1547: Cuba is colonised by the Spanish 1555: The Spanish claimed the Montserrat Islands 1561: Santa Cruz was founded by the Spaniard Nuflo de Chavez 1561: Spain's Juan de Cavallon leads the first successful Costa Rican colonisers 1567: The Spanish re-conquest of Belize
Famous Spanish Explorers in the New World
Interesting Facts and Information about the Elizabethan Age and Spanish Explorers of the Elizabethan Age Some interesting facts and information about the Elizabethan Age and Spanish Explorers of the Elizabethan Age
Famous Spanish Explorers Additional details, facts and information about the Explorers in the Age of Exploration can be accessed via the Elizabethan Era Sitemap.
