The Royal Fifth: How Spain Taxed Its Empire into Oblivion

The School of Salamanca and the Birth of International Law

This episode explores the School of Salamanca, a group of 16th-century Spanish theologians and jurists who laid the foundations for modern international law, human rights, and economic theory. We focus on Francisco de Vitoria, who in his 1539 lecture 'De Indis' argued that indigenous peoples of the Americas possessed natural rights to life, liberty, and property, and that Spanish conquest required just cause. We discuss the Valladolid Debate of 1550-51 between Bartolomé de las Casas and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda over the humanity of Native Americans. We also touch on Martín de Azpilcueta's quantity theory of money and the School's influence on later thinkers like Hugo Grotius and John Locke. Vitoria's concept of a global community (orbis) and his arguments against the pope's temporal authority over non-Christians are examined. The episode ties these ideas to the Spanish Empire's legal and moral justifications for expansion, showing how the School of Salamanca both challenged and reinforced imperial power. #SchoolOfSalamanca #FranciscoDeVitoria #InternationalLaw #ValladolidDebate #BartolomeDeLasCasas #JuanGinesDeSepulveda #MartinDeAzpilcueta #DeIndis #NaturalRights #JustWar #SpanishEmpire #Colonialism #HumanRights #SixteenthCentury #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast #Spain Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Spanish Empire's Inner Enemy: The Catalan Revolt of 1640

The Catalan Revolt of 1640, also known as the Guerra dels Segadors, was a rebellion that tore apart the Spanish Empire from within. While Spain was bleeding men and silver into the Thirty Years' War, the principality of Catalonia rose up against the fiscal demands of the Count-Duke of Olivares, Philip IV's chief minister. It all began with the Corpus de Sang — the bloody Corpus Christi uprising in Barcelona when peasant reapers and urban mobs turned on the viceroy's officials. The revolt escalated into a full-scale war, with the Catalan elite declaring the Republic of Catalonia and later placing themselves under the protection of Louis XIII of France. At the heart of the story is Pau Claris, the canon-lawyer-turned-president of the Generalitat, who made the fateful decision to betray loyalty to the Habsburgs. The revolt ended in 1652 when Barcelona finally fell to Spanish forces, but only after decades of devastation, a French occupation that proved as brutal as the royal army, and a lasting wound to the relationship between Castile and Catalonia. This episode follows the revolt's causes, key figures, and consequences, drawing on the memoirs of the French diplomat and historian Cardinal de Retz. #CatalanRevolt #GuerraDelSegadors #CorpusDeSang #PauClaris #CountDukeOfOlivares #PhilipIV #ThirtyYearsWar #RepublicOfCatalonia #Generalitat #SpanishEmpire #Barcelona #LouisXIII #CardinalDeRetz #17thCentury #SpanishHistory #Europe #Rebellion #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Carrera de Indias: Spain's Atlantic Lifeline

In this episode of The Spanish Empire: Global Power Built on Gold and Blood, we explore the Carrera de Indias—the convoys that for three centuries carried silver from Potosí and gold from the New World across the Atlantic to Seville. Lucas and Luna discuss the Casa de Contratación's meticulous organization, the dangers of pirates and storms, the economic impact on Spain and Europe, and the human cost of sustaining this trade. We follow the fleet's route from Veracruz and Cartagena through the perilous Florida Strait, the role of treasure ports like Nombre de Dios and Portobelo, and the system's eventual decline. We touch on key figures like Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and the Dutch pirate Piet Heyn's capture of the fleet in 1628. This episode offers a vivid look at the logistical marvel that made Spain the first global superpower—and the strain it placed on an empire. #CarreraDeIndias #SpanishEmpire #CasaDeContratación #SilverTrade #TreasureFleet #PedroMenéndezDeAvilés #PietHeyn #NombreDeDios #Portobelo #Veracruz #CartagenaDeIndias #Galleon #RealDeAOcho #FloridaStrait #AtlanticTrade #History #FexingoHistory #ColonialEconomics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Spanish Inquisition: Torquemada's Confession Manual

In 1484, Tomás de Torquemada issued the 'Instrucciones de la Santa Inquisición', a procedural manual that standardized interrogation, confession, and punishment across Spain. This episode explores how the Inquisition's operations were codified, from the 'Edict of Grace' and 'Edict of Faith' to the role of 'familiares' and the 'auto de fe'. We follow the case of a fictional converso family in Ciudad Real to see how these rules played out in practice. The episode also examines the limits of inquisitorial power: the Suprema in Madrid often overruled local tribunals, and thousands of accused were acquitted. We discuss the 'limpieza de sangre' statutes, the persecution of crypto-Jews and crypto-Muslims, and the long shadow the Inquisition cast on Spanish society. A nuanced look at how fear was institutionalized. #SpanishInquisition #Torquemada #EdictOfGrace #EdictOfFaith #Conversos #Moriscos #LimpiezaDeSangre #AutoDeFe #Familiares #CiudadReal #Suprema #InquisitorGeneral #History #FexingoHistory #Spain #15thCentury #CatholicMonarchs #InquisitionProcedures Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Spanish Empire's Moriscos: Expulsion of the Muslims

In 1609, King Felipe III ordered the expulsion of the Moriscos—descendants of Spain's Muslim population who had been forced to convert to Christianity. This episode explores the lives of these communities, the political and religious motivations behind the decree, and the devastating consequences for Spain's economy and society. We look at the different regional experiences, from the Alpujarras rebellion to the exile of tens of thousands, and consider how the expulsion shaped Spain's identity and decline. Drawing on primary sources like the decrees of the Council of State and the writings of contemporary observers, we trace the Moriscos' story from the fall of Granada to their final dispersal across North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. #Moriscos #FelipeIII #Expulsion #Alpujarras #Granada #Valencia #Aragon #Inquisition #LimpiezaDeSangre #IslamInSpain #CryptoMuslims #OttomanEmpire #NorthAfrica #1609 #SpanishEmpire #History #FexingoHistory #Reconquista Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]