Database: Spanish Empire

Already a global power, the Spanish defeated powerful adversaries such as the Aztecs and Incas in the Americas by exploiting existing conflicts and rivalries between tribes and nations between the 15th and 18th centuries.

Acquisitive and protective of the supply of precious metals its new colonies afforded it, the Spanish Empire enthusiastically participated in the Atlantic slave trade and defended its trade routes aggressively.

Even after its defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession, the 18th century was nevertheless one of prosperity for the Spanish Empire, as their trade reputation grew steadily under Bourbon oversight, and continued to grow at an extraordinary rate until the 1780s.