Question

When historians investigate how the Spanish and Portuguese built their empires, they notice

Responses:

the Spanish and Portuguese did not follow advice from the Catholic Church when they began exploring.

many similarities between how the two countries engaged in this process.

there are no similarities between these countries’ empire-building efforts.

neither country was successful in building empires in the age of exploration.

Answer 1

Correct answer: many similarities between how the two countries engaged in this process.

Brief explanation: both were state-sponsored, Catholic monarchies that used royal charters and papal approval, invested in maritime technology and long-distance navigation, sought trade routes and resources, combined missionary activity with economic exploitation, and established overseas administrations, forts, and colonies. (They did differ in emphasis — Spain created large continental colonies and viceroyalties in the Americas, while Portugal focused more on coastal forts, trading posts and plantation colonies such as Brazil — but the overall methods and motives show many clear similarities.)