Spanish Political System

Question 1

What did the Spanish believe in?

Answer 1

The Spanish believed in the Divine Right of Kings, a doctrine stating that only God could give someone the right to rule.

Question 2

What was THE CORTES?

Answer 2

A Spanish parliament

Question 3

What was its purpose and how did it work?

Answer 3

Any legislation had to be approved by the Cortes to ensure the new laws would be in the best interest of the country.

Question 4

When was the The Cortes established?

Answer 4

The 8th century to keep the power of the monarchs under control

Question 5

What did The Cortes control?

Answer 5

The Cortes controlled the national treasury, and the king or queen was required to get approval for all major expenditures

Question 6

What did Ferdinand and Isabella reduce?

Answer 6

Reduced the power of the aristocracy by having men from humbler origins, not from the aristocracy, selected for the Cortes

Question 7

What did Ferdinand and Isabella allow?

Answer 7

Allowed nobles to participate in parliamentary proceedings, but not vote

Question 8

What did Ferdinand and Isabella reorganize?

Answer 8

Reorganized important financial and judicial institutions so the monarchy had more control

Question 9

What did Ferdinand and Isabella centralize?

Answer 9

Centralized the powers of the government under a Council of State, a Council of Finance, and a Council of Justice

Question 10

What did Ferdinand and Isabella do after the loss of the political pwr?

Answer 10

Ferdinand and Isabella granted the aristocrats huge tracts of land and exempted them from paying taxes on these holding

Question 11

What happened to the merchant class?

Answer 11

The cities became more successful, although they were not as powerful as the merchant class in many other parts of Europe, such as Italy or the Netherlands.

Question 12

What did Ferdinand and Isabella gain?

Answer 12

Ferdinand and Isabella gained the support of the merchants and townspeople by making changes to financial institutions that helped them with their business activities and by promising them protection

Question 13

What did Ferdinand and Isabella send?

Answer 13

Ferdinand and Isabella sent in their own representatives to govern cities and tax the residents

Question 14

What were Local officials responsible for?

Answer 14

Local officials were directly responsible for the monarchy. In this way, the monarchs stopped the cities from becoming too independent and powerful

Question 15

Why were the merchants taxed heavily?

Answer 15

They also taxed merchants very heavily because the nobles were exempt from paying taxes.

Question 16

Who was closely linked to the monarchy?

Answer 16

The Roman Catholic Church was often closely linked to the monarchy

Question 17

What did the pope have the authority to do?

Answer 17

The pope had the authority to ask members of the clergy to oppose royal actions or decrees

Question 18

What did Ferdinand and Isabella understand?

Answer 18

Ferdinand and Isabella understood they had to have control over the Church if they wanted complete control in governing Spain. They knew that to control the Church, they needed to be able to place individuals of their own choosing in important Church positions

Question 19

What happened on 1486?

Answer 19

In 1486, Pope Innocent VIII gave Ferdinand and Isabella the right to choose whomever they wanted to fill Church positions.

Question 20

What were the Aztecs doing compared to the Spanish?

Answer 20

While the Aztecs were establishing their empire, the Spanish were fighting the last 100 years of the Reconquista.

Question 21

What happened on 1479?

Answer 21

In 1479, towards the end of the Reconquista, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella married. They wanted greater powers for the monarchy. During their reign,
they increased the powers of the throne and decreased the powers of the Cortes

Question 22

Who controlled the centralized gov’t?

Answer 22

Ferdinand & Isabella controlled the centralized gov’t

Question 23

What did Ferdinand & Isabella create?

Answer 23

Created a more efficient government bureaucracy

Question 24

What did Ferdinand & Isabella impose?

Answer 24

Imposed new taxes

Question 25

What did Ferdinand & Isabella take control of?

Answer 25

Took control of the Roman Catholic Church in Spain

Question 26

What did Ferdinand & Isabella begin?

Answer 26

Began the Spanish Inquisition

Question 27

What did Ferdinand & Isabella forbid?

Answer 27

Forbid any faith but Roman Catholicism

Question 28

What happened to the peasants?

Answer 28

Spain was still very much a hierarchical society. Life for the peasants changed
very little. A very small percentage of the population continued to own most of the land.

Question 29

what were landowners exempt from?

Answer 29

Landowners were still exempt from all taxes.

Question 30

What happened to the merchant class?

Answer 30

The developing merchant class, which was not yet large, was given more power, but at the same time, was taxed very heavily.

Question 31

What did the aristocrats believe?

Answer 31

The aristocrats believed they were far too superior to have to work

Question 32

What did Castile & Aragon continued to do?

Answer 32

Castile and Aragon continued to function as two distinct kingdoms with different languages and cultures.

Question 33

What happened by 1492?

Answer 33

In 1492, Columbus convinced the monarchs to support him in his explorations. This decision led to Spain becoming the most powerful and wealthy country in Europe in the 16th century.

Question 34

What happened by the 1500’s?

Answer 34

By the middle of the 1500s, Spain controlled large areas of the Caribbean, the Americas, and parts of Asia and Africa.