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1. Spain and Portugal: 1400-1650
- Portugal’s Prince captured the African city of , near the straits between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, from the Moors. Following this capture, Portuguese sailors and traders mapped the African coast, seeking first gold and slaves from West Africa and, later, a sea route to to acquire spices. The Portuguese expedition led by Vasco de Gama reached in 1498.
- Christopher Columbus sought to find a shorter sea route to by sailing west. Instead, in 1492, Columbus discovered the , although he believed at the time that he was in the Japanese islands. Explorers Amerigo Vespucci and Ferdinand Magellan followed, mapping the coastline of .
- King of Spain, a Hapsburg, succeeded his grandfather as Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, combining in his hands authority over the Netherlands, Spain, portions of Italy, and much of Central Europe. Wars with and the absorbed much of the emperor’s time and resources.
- Wealth from colonies in the Americas financed the kingdom’s role in religious and political struggles. King led these efforts, joining in the Holy League with Venice and the pope to defeat Ottoman forces at in 1571. His wars against Calvinists in the Netherlands, Protestant Elizabeth I in England, and Protestant principalities in Germany weakened the empire before finally ending with the Treaty of in 1648.
