Tuesday, 22nd October

Hi class!

I didn’t want to start with the legendary sentence, but I don’t have any other choice:

Today, in the class of Social Sciences we have done several things.

First, we have started reviewing the last part of the scheme about Philip II. His objectives were to defence the Catholicism and to preserve his Empire.

We have emphasized the revolt of the Low Countries: they revolted because the tax increased, the Protestants were persecuted and because Philip sent there the Duke of Alba to resolved it. The leader of the revolt was William of Orange. This revolt started in 1568 and finished with the independence of Holland in 1648. Philip II gave the Low Countries to his daughter Isabel Clara Eugenia, but she didn’t have children, so the Low Countries came back to the Hispanic Monarchy in 1621. 

DUKE OF ALBA

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Tizian_060.jpg

WILLIAM OF ORANGE

Source: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00659/news-graphics-2008-_659649a.jpg

ISABEL CLARA EUGENIA

Source: http://www.reprodart.com/kunst/alonso_sanchez_coello/infanta_isabel_clara_eugenia_hi.jpg

Also, we have explained the war against France: the French were defeated in the Battle of Saint Quentin (1557), but Philip continued interfering France: he took part in the war of religion, supporting Catholics and against the Huguenots (Calvinists).

BATTLE OF SAINT QUENTIN

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Pieter_Snayers_Siege_of_Gravelines.jpg

Santiago has checked the confrontation of Ottoman Turks: they threatened the Mediterranean and a Catholic coalition, led by the Hispanic Monarchy was organized to confront them: The Holy League. It defeated the Ottoman Turks in the Battle of Lepanto. (1571).

BATTLE OF LEPANTO

Source: http://www.revistanaval.com/www-alojados/armada/batallas/Lepanto5.jpg

María Alcañiz has read the conflict with England: Elizabeth I supported the Protestants and their corsairs attacked the Hispanic fleets that came from the Indies. Paqui has explained us that corsairs or privateers used a Letter of marque (Carte Blanche) which permitted to attack this fleets. Philip II decided to invade England with the Invincible Armada, but the big navy sunk in 1588 before reaching the English coasts by a torment.

INVINCIBLE ARMADA

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Spanish_Armada.jpg

ELIZABETH I

Source: http://blogs.ua.es/elizabeth/files/2011/03/Elizabeth-I-von-England.jpg

Then, we have corrected the exercises. Paqui has corrected the exercise 13 and she explained us that the consequences of many wars were the bankruptcy in several times.

Marina has corrected the last one about the Price Revolution: it was a huge inflation provoked by the arrival of big amounts of precious metal from the Indies. Prices increased a lot, because there was not enough production to satisfy the demand. Many products were imported from Europe and the wealth of the Indies wasn’t used to develop a productive economy.

With this exercise, Paqui has explained us the partial acquitance and she has told us the example of Greece. This happen when you are a creditor and you can’t pay all the debt you have, but you only pay a part. There is a saying for this: “a bird in the hands is better than two in the bush”.

Finally, Paqui has written on the blackboard a scheme about the conquest, colonization and administration of the Indies that we have to complete at home. We have copied on our notebooks the first part: the conquest was quick due to the European military superiority and ambitions and impact of European diseases over the indigenous people. There were three stages:

-        Conquest of the Antilles.

-        Conquest of the Aztec Empire by Hernán Cortes.

-        Conquest of the Inca Empire by Pizarro and Almagro.

At the beginning of the journal you have the Power Point presentation to complete the scheme.

Now, I’m going to write the new words we have learnt:

-        To threaten: amenazar.

-        Threat: amenaza.

-        Fleet: flota.

-        Success: éxito.

-        Event: suceso, acontecimiento.

-        Corsair/privateer: corsario.

-        Letter of marque/Carte Blanche: patente de corso.

-        Failure: fracaso.

-        To swe: deber.

-        Default: quiebra, suspension de pagar.

-        Partial acquitance: quita de deuda.

-        Creditor: acreedor.

-       A bird in the hands is better than two in the bush: más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando.

-        Bush: arbusto.

-        Saying: dicho, refrán.

Have a nice day, although it’s raining, and see you!