Why Did the Spanish Empire Begin a Precipitous Decline

question 24

Multiple Choice

Why did the Spanish Empire begin a precipitous decline?

• A) The citizens of the Spanish Empire largely failed to pay taxes, and it never developed a real class structure.
• B) The Spanish Empire was so lenient toward the Native Americans that various tribes eventually were able to join forces and conquer it.
• C) Under Queen Elizabeth, England came to control the most colonial outposts and, thus, dominated the Spanish Empire in terms of trade.
• D) The Spanish Empire became overly dependent on extraction of wealth rather than expand and stabilize Spanish influence in the New World.
• E) Spain encouraged a vast number of settlers to populate New Spain-far more than the colony could handle economically.

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