Facing the Greatness of Spain, 1567–1588

Abstract

From the Reformation in 1517 to the Wars of Religion (1562–98), uncertainty and strife in Europe affected the expansion of France and England in the New World. What was to follow was even worse, especially in France, where a civil war fought on the pretext of religion, as Montaigne would later write, divided the country and prevented it from concentrating its efforts on western colonization. As France weakened, Spain grew in strength. As Spain’s power increased, so did the dissenting voices within and without the country. The anxiety over Spanish material and imperial success, including the Christianization of the Natives, augmented in France and England.