Power And Influence In Spain In The 1600's

Spain had great power and influence during the 1500s, but it was short lived and as Spain rapidly declined, England became a leading power by the 1600s. Spain’s land was 85% unusable and could only grow so much but England had much more favorable political, economic, environmental, and social factors which allowed for significant growth and sustainability.

England’s naval defeat of the Spanish Armada historically symbolized England’s rise of power and the decline of Spanish power (Merriman,186). This proved that Spain had stretched its empire beyond its reach. Following England’s success, authoritative power, economic development, and stability blossomed.

The consolidation and extension of the Tudor Monarchy brought many loyal officials

This made farming more efficient and profitable as farms were able to utilize land they may not have not been utilizing efficiently or at all. Enclosing agricultural land also meant removing tenants who had not paid their dues which did cause caused widespread riots, rural depopulation, and impoverishment (Merriman, 195). The spread of agrarian individualism contributed to individual control and rights of land but also supported England as a whole as it strengthened the farming industry and brought food security to the people.

The printing press, advances in ship building, and navigation combined with other new technologies also attributed to the growth and powerful economy of England. The printing press allowed England to spread knowledge and contribute to the book trade and publishing industry which in turn contributed to England’s economy financially and through education. As England’s shipbuilding and navigation advanced, long-distance trade became easier and expanded which increased profit, spurred new ways for wealth creation, and stimulated growth of England’s

During England’s economic boom of the sixteenth century the rich got richer, individualism rose, and middle class grew. Lasting impacts of the renaissance was reflected through English culture as a desire for the arts, science, and education intensified. Social change was also encountered when England established the Church of England which solidified Protestant Reformation and Tudor Monarchs in England providing further authority and growth of England (Merriman,