A History of Modern Europe - From the Renaissance to the Present

198 Ch. 5 • Rise of the Atlantic Economy: Spain and England

Again in contrast to Spain, which developed an empire marked by the
firm alliance of Church altar and an authoritarian throne, the English felt
less of a mission to bring Christianity to indigenous peoples. Moreover,
unlike Catholicism in the case of the Spanish Eiripire, the established Eng­
lish religion, Anglicanism, was just one religion among others in the English
colonies. By 1675, only an estimated 2,500 Native Americans had been con­
verted to Christianity. In the Spanish Empire, many colonists undertook
inter-ethnic marriages and thus helped bring about a considerable mixed
population, allowing social mobility for a select few. In contrast, English set­
tlers from the beginning sought to exclude and push back the indigenous
population. Fearful of cultural mixing and of those they continued to con­
sider “savages,” most of whom showed no interest in assimilation, the set­
tlers drove them farther west.

The Decline of Spain

The “decline” of the overstretched Spanish Empire was first noted in 1600.

Had the Spain of the Catholic kings fallen from God’s favor? Castilians

themselves still regarded Spain as a haven of peace and prosperity compared

to the rest of Europe, which was wracked by religious wars.

The Dutch Revolt

The decline of Spanish power began with the Dutch revolt. In the Nether­

lands, Dutch nobles and officials resented higher taxes imposed by the Span­

ish crown. Above all, many Dutch were angered by the Spanish kings attempt

to promote the Catholic Reformation by imposing the Inquisition in a land

where most people were now Calvinists. In the early 1560s, resistance first

began against the presence of Spanish garrisons.

In 1567, Philip II appointed the duke of Alba (1507—1582) to restore

order in the north with 10,000 Spanish troops. The ruthless Castilian

ordered the execution of prominent Calvinist nobles on the central square of

Brussels, established military courts, imposed heavy new taxes, and virtually

destroyed self-government in the Netherlands. But Alba’s reign of terror as

governor also helped transform the resistance of Dutch nobles and officials,

led by William of Orange (1533-1584), into a national revolt.

In the Southern Netherlands (Belgium), Alba’s Council of Troubles,

known to the Dutch as the “Council of Blood,” executed thousands of peo­

ple from 1567 to 1573. In 1572, rebellion became full-fledged insurrec­

tion. Spanish troops dominated on land, but Dutch ships controlled the

seas. When a Spanish army undertook a siege of Leiden, southwest of Ams­

terdam, the people of the town opened the dikes, and Dutch ships sailed

over the rushing waters to drive the Spaniards away. But Spanish victories