Episode notes
This episode of Thrones of Power: Empires That Changed the World explores the rise and global reach of the Spanish Empire, the first empire on which “the sun never set.” Emerging after the Reconquista of 1492, Spain’s Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, united their kingdom and financed Christopher Columbus’s voyage that opened the door to the Americas.
Spanish conquistadors like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro conquered the Aztec and Inca civilizations, bringing vast quantities of gold and silver back to Europe. These riches fueled Spain’s dominance in the 16th century, making it the most powerful state in the world. At its height, the empire stretched across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and As ...