How Did Spain Influence The New World

Spain had the best chance of controlling the now United States. Throughout the whole century, no European power—besides Spain—held a brief foothold in the New World. Spain had the advantage of two things: arriving first, and stumbling onto the regions that would produce the quickest profits. With France and England preoccupied by political disputes and religious conflicts, Spain forged an intense national unity, enabling it to dominate Europe and the New World. They seized treasures from Mexico and Peru, adding to Spain’s military and economic power. But Spain had a single-minded focus on gold and silver, which tempted the Spanish government to live beyond its means. In a little over 100 years, between 1557 to 1662, the kings of Spain had to declare bankruptcy ten times.
Spain’s colonial presence lasted more than three centuries, which was much longer than England’s or France’s. New Spain centered in Mexico, but its frontier outposts extended all the way from Florida to Alaska. Hispanic place-names – like San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Fe, San Anttonio, Pensacola, and St. Augustine – survive to this day, along with Hispanic influences in art, architecture, literature, music, law, and