The Habsburg Dynasty in the 16th Century: The Habsburg dynasty ruled Spain from 1516 until
1700, through the five kings Carlos I (Emperor Charles V), Felipe II, Felipe III, Felipe IV, and Carlos II.
King Carlos I of Spain / Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire
King Carlos I of Spain was the first sole ruler of a united Spain, and reigned over most of Europe from
1516 to 1556. He inherited land from all four grandparents as well as Spain’s American and
Mediterranean territories. He also ruled Austria and the Holy Roman Empire. He fought with France
and the Turks, and he also fought Protestant uprisings in Germany. At his abdication in 1556, he left
his Spanish holdings to his son King Felipe II, and his Austrian holdings to his brother Emperor
Ferdinand I.
King Felipe II of Spain
King Felipe II of Spain is one of Spain’s most admired and successful kings, succeeding his father in
1556 and reigning until his death in 1598. He was a great patron of the arts and culture, and
supported great building works such as the Escorial. He oversaw The Battle of Lepanto against the
Turks in 1571, which the Spaniards won. King Felipe II also inherited the Portuguese throne in 1580,
linking Portugal and Brazil to Spain.
His reign experienced problems, particularly fighting with France and England, including the failure of
the Spanish Armada in 1588. King Felipe also had to deal with various uprisings in the Netherlands
and a gradual loss of the territory.
Sole: Inherited: As well as: Uprisings Abdication
Left: Holdings: Successful: Succeeding: Oversaw:
Linking: Failure: Deal with: Loss
1) Who was the first ruler of Spain?
2) What land did King Carlos I rule?
3) What important building did King Felipe II support?
4) What did King Felipe II inherit? Why did it help Spain?
5) Why did King Felipe’s II reign have problems?
King Felipe III of Spain
Succeeded: Rather: Weak: Incompetent: Reluctant:
Began: Expelled: Dutiful: Weakening: Failed:
Loss: Sickly: Minor Right before:
1) Why did King Felipe III have a weak reign?
2) What did Spain do in 1609?
3) Describe King Felipe IV:
4) What did King Felipe IV loose during his reign?
5) Who ruled Spain when King Carlos II was the King?
Economy in Early Modern Spain
Following: Resources: Long-lasting:
Consumer: Led: Inflation:
Hampered: Compete: Wealth:
Improvement: Perpetuate: Decline:
1) What new products had an impact on Spain?
2) What did Spain use the gold and silver for?
3) What led to inflation?
4) Why couldn’t Spain compete in international markets?
5) Where did the wealthy invest their money?
Demography and society in Early modern Spain
Following: Resources: Long-lasting:
Consumer: Led: Inflation:
Hampered: Compete: Wealth:
Improvement: Perpetuate: Decline:
1) Why did Spain’s population shrink?
2) Who expelled the moriscos?
3) Why did the economy collapse?
4) Why was the Inquisition created?
5) What were conversos?
The Habsburg dynasty in the 17th century: The Habsburg dynasty ruled Spain from 1516 until
1700, through the five kings Carlos I (Emperor Charles V), Felipe II, Felipe III, Felipe IV, and Carlos II.
King Felipe III of Spain
King Felipe III of Spain succeeded his father in 1598 and had a rather weak reign until his own death
in 1621. He was incompetent and reluctant to rule, and began a tradition of leaving the ruling of Spain
to government ministers, his personal favorite being the Duke of Lerma. During his reign, Spain
expelled the moriscos in 1609.
King Felipe IV of Spain
King Felipe IV of Spain was a dutiful king who is often seen as incompetent because of the weakening
of Spain during his reign from 1621 to 1665. He was smart and cultured, and was a great patron of
literature and the arts, especially the painter Diego Velazquez. Unfortunately, King Felipe IV was
influenced by his minister the Count of Olivares, whose grand plans often failed. His reign saw the loss
Portugal in 1640 after a revolution, and in 1648 he was forced to recognize the independence of the
United Provinces of the Netherlands. Spain was also at war with France from 1635 to 1659, and lost
Catalonia for a time.
King Carlos II of Spain
King Carlos II of Spain succeeded his father at the young age of four in 1665 and reigned until 1700,
but because he was sickly he never really came to complete power. Instead, Spain was ruled by the
Junta de Gobierno while he was a minor and after that by a succession of chief ministers until 1691.
King Carlos II of Spain died without a successor and right before his death he named the French
prince Duke Philip of Anjou, who became King Felipe V of Spain and began the Spanish Bourbon
Dynasty.
Succeeded: Rather: Weak: Incompetent: Reluctant:
Began: Expelled: Dutiful: Weakening: Failed:
Loss: Sickly: Minor Right before:
1) Why did King Felipe III have a weak reign?
2) What did Spain do in 1609?
3) Describe King Felipe IV:
4) What did King Felipe IV loose during his reign?
5) Who ruled Spain when King Carlos II was the King?
King Carlos I of Spain / Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire
Sole: Inherited: As well as: Uprisings Abdication
Left: Holdings: Successful: Succeeding: Oversaw:
Linking: Failure: Deal with: Loss
1) Who was the first ruler of Spain?
2) What land did King Carlos I rule?
3) What important building did King Felipe II support?
4) What did King Felipe II inherit? Why did it help Spain?
5) Why did King Felipe’s II reign have problems?
Economy in Early Modern Spain
Following: Resources: Long-lasting:
Consumer: Led: Inflation:
Hampered: Compete: Wealth:
Improvement: Perpetuate: Decline:
1) What new products had an impact on Spain?
2) What did Spain use the gold and silver for?
3) What led to inflation?
4) Why couldn’t Spain compete in international markets?
5) Where did the wealthy invest their money?
Demography and society in Early modern Spain
Following: Resources: Long-lasting:
Consumer: Led: Inflation:
Hampered: Compete: Wealth:
Improvement: Perpetuate: Decline:
1) Why did Spain’s population shrink?
2) Who expelled the moriscos?
3) Why did the economy collapse?
4) Why was the Inquisition created?
5) What were conversos?
Economy in Early Modern Spain
Following the discovery of America and the colonial expansion in the Caribbean and Continental
America, valuable agricultural products and mineral resources were introduced into Spain through
regular trade routes. New products such as potatoes, tomatoes and corn had a long-lasting impact on
the Spanish economy, but more importantly on European demographics. Gold and silver imported
from American mines were used by the Spanish Crown to pay for troops in the Netherlands and Italy,
to maintain the emperor's forces in Germany and ships at sea, and to satisfy increasing consumer
demand at home. However, the large volumes of precious metals from America led to inflation, which
had a negative effect on the poorer part of the population, as goods became overpriced. This also
hampered exports, as expensive goods could not compete in international markets.
The wealthy preferred to invest their fortunes in public debt (juros), which were backed by these
silver imports, rather than in production of manufactures and the improvement of agriculture. This
helped perpetuate the medieval aristocratic prejudice that saw manual work as dishonorable long
after this attitude had started to decline in other west European countries
Following: Resources: Long-lasting: Troops: Increasing:
Consumer: Led: Inflation: Goods: Overpriced:
Hampered: Compete: Wealth: Backed: Rather:
Improvement: Perpetuate: Decline:
1) What new products had an impact on Spain?
2) What did Spain use the gold and silver for?
3) What led to inflation?
4) Why couldn’t Spain compete in international markets?
5) Where did the wealthy invest their money?
King Carlos I of Spain / Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire
Sole: Inherited: As well as: Uprisings Abdication
Left: Holdings: Successful: Succeeding: Oversaw:
Linking: Failure: Deal with: Loss
1) Who was the first ruler of Spain?
2) What land did King Carlos I rule?
3) What important building did King Felipe II support?
4) What did King Felipe II inherit? Why did it help Spain?
5) Why did King Felipe’s II reign have problems?
King Felipe III of Spain
Succeeded: Rather: Weak: Incompetent: Reluctant:
Began: Expelled: Dutiful: Weakening: Failed:
Loss: Sickly: Minor Right before:
1) Why did King Felipe III have a weak reign?
2) What did Spain do in 1609?
3) Describe King Felipe IV:
4) What did King Felipe IV loose during his reign?
5) Who ruled Spain when King Carlos II was the King?
Demography and society in Early modern Spain
Following: Resources: Long-lasting:
Consumer: Led: Inflation:
Hampered: Compete: Wealth:
Improvement: Perpetuate: Decline:
1) Why did Spain’s population shrink?
2) Who expelled the moriscos?
3) Why did the economy collapse?
4) Why was the Inquisition created?
5) What were conversos?
Demography and society in Early modern Spain
The overall effect of the plague and emigration reduced Spain's population from over 8 million in the
last years of the 16th century to under 7 million by the mid-17th century. Castile was the most
severely affected region.
In addition, Philip III expelled the moriscos from Spain between 1609 and 1614. The number of
moriscos expelled was around 300,000 (about 4% of the Spanish population). The majority were
expelled from the Crown of Aragon. Many villages were totally abandoned and the economy was
collapsed as a result. New laborers were fewer in number and were not as familiar with local
agricultural techniques.
Perhaps, the saddest chapter of Spanish history was the Inquisition. It was created created not only to
prosecute heretics such as Protestants or witches, but to hunt false converts from Judaism and Islam
(the conversos). The Spanish society created two kinds of people, “old Christians” who had honor and
privileges, and “new Christians” descendents of the “conversos”, who could never serve in the army or
work for the State or Church.
Reduced: Severely: Expelled: Abandoned:
Collapsed: Fewer: Prosecute: Heretics:
Hunt: Privileges: Serve:
1) Why did Spain’s population shrink?
2) Who expelled the moriscos?
3) Why did the economy collapse?
4) Why was the Inquisition created?
5) What were conversos?
King Carlos I of Spain / Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire
Sole: Inherited: As well as: Uprisings Abdication
Left: Holdings: Successful: Succeeding: Oversaw:
Linking: Failure: Deal with: Loss
1) Who was the first ruler of Spain?
2) What land did King Carlos I rule?
3) What important building did King Felipe II support?
4) What did King Felipe II inherit? Why did it help Spain?
5) Why did King Felipe’s II reign have problems?
King Felipe III of Spain
Succeeded: Rather: Weak: Incompetent: Reluctant:
Began: Expelled: Dutiful: Weakening: Failed:
Loss: Sickly: Minor Right before:
1) Why did King Felipe III have a weak reign?
2) What did Spain do in 1609?
3) Describe King Felipe IV:
4) What did King Felipe IV loose during his reign?
5) Who ruled Spain when King Carlos II was the King?
Economy in Early Modern Spain
Following: Resources: Long-lasting:
Consumer: Led: Inflation:
Hampered: Compete: Wealth:
Improvement: Perpetuate: Decline:
1) What new products had an impact on Spain?
2) What did Spain use the gold and silver for?
3) What led to inflation?
4) Why couldn’t Spain compete in international markets?
5) Where did the wealthy invest their money?