MODERN AGE
The Modern Age starts in 1492 with the American Discovery and ends in 1789 with the French Revolution.

During the Early Modern Age, the social structure was hierarchical and social classes were based on status and wealth. Society was divided into two main classes, the privileged class (monarchs, nobles and clergy) and the unprivileged class (the middle and lower classes). Most people belonged to this unprivileged class.

SOCIAL CLASSES
MONARCH: queen, duchess, duke, king...
CLERGY: bishop, monk, nun...
MIDDLE CLASS: banker, merchant
LOWER CLASS: shoemaker, peasant...

15th CENTURY IN SPAIN
The kingdom of Granada was the last remaining taifa kingdom in Spain. It was weakened by internal disputes. The fall of Granada in 1492 marked the end of the Reconquista and the Catholic Monarchs ruled Spain as one territory.

THE CATHOLIC MONARCHS
Isabel I of Castilla and Fernando II of Aragón got married and they united the crowns of Castilla and Aragón so they formed on powerful Cristian Kingdom. They imposed royal authority and Catholicism. They received the title of Catholic from the Pope Alexander VI.

THE REIGN OF THE CATHOLIC MONARCHS
1. Power: they centralized power and took control of the army and government. The nobility and the church had less power. They married their children with other European royal families to stablish strong alliances with other nations.

2. Expansion: the Catholic Monarchs added Melilla, the Canary Islands and the kingdom of Navarra to their territories. They also invested in foreign exploration and expansion.

3. Religion: they used the Spanish Inquisition to join together the Christian Kingdoms by punishing people who did not follow the rules of Catholicism. Jews and Muslims had to convert to Catholicism. Those muslims who converted were called Moriscs. The people who didn't convert had to leave Spain.

NAVAL EXPLORATION
European nations wanted to find new routes to Asia to make trading easier. Asia was famous for its silk, precious stones and spices like pepper and nutmeg.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 1492
He was an Italian explorer. In 1492, the Catholic Monarchs gave him money for his expedition to Asia. In return, he promised to bring back gold, spices and silk.

Most navigators and explorers sailed East around the south coast of Africa to get to Asia. However, Columbus decided to sail West across the Atlantic Ocean. On 3 August 1492, the three boats La Pinta, La Niña and La Santa María left Palos de la Frontera in Huelva. They arrived in San Salvador, an island in the American on the 12th of October of 1492.

ECONOMIC EFFECTS
Thanks to this naval exploration, Spain became one of the most powerful countries in Europe. They discovered different products and developed trading infraestructure. Spain began trading with the Americas and imported goods such as gold, silver, fruit, vegetables, cocoa and vanila. Spain exported goods such as cloth, wood and leather and also flour and cereals.

THE SPANISH EMPIRE
After the Catholic Monarchs, their descendants Carlos I and Felipe II ruled and continued their legacy in the following centuries. They controlled powerfull empires with territories all over the world.