A map shows the region of present-day Spain divided into five Kingdoms. Each of the five kingdoms is shown with a different pattern. Bodies of water are labeled Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The Kingdom of Portugal lies along the western coastline, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. The cities of Oporto and Lisbon are shown within this territory. Another small separate piece of the Kingdom of Portugal, labeled Cueta, sits on the tip of North Africa at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. A large shaded area covers most of the central territory of Spain, labeled Kingdom of Castile. Cities within the region are Corunna, Oviedo and Bilbao along the northern coast; Salamanca, Madrid, and Toledo in the central region, and Cordova, Seville, and Cadiz to the south. A small region in the north, east of Kingdom of Castile and bordering France, is labeled Kingdom of Navarre. A fourth region is labeled Kingdom of Aragon, extending from the eastern border of the Kingdom of Castile to the Mediterranean Sea, with France to the north. Cities include Saragossa in the center, and Barcelona and Valencia on the coast. Also part of Aragon are the Balearic Islands off the coastline in the Mediterranean Sea. The fifth region, the Kingdom of Granada, is a small territory sitting below the Kingdom of Castile and bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Cities included are Malaqah and Granada. A scale shows 200 miles and 200 kilometers.

Question

A map shows the region of present-day Spain divided into five Kingdoms. Each of the five kingdoms is shown with a different pattern. Bodies of water are labeled Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The Kingdom of Portugal lies along the western coastline, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. The cities of Oporto and Lisbon are shown within this territory. Another small separate piece of the Kingdom of Portugal, labeled Cueta, sits on the tip of North Africa at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. A large shaded area covers most of the central territory of Spain, labeled Kingdom of Castile. Cities within the region are Corunna, Oviedo and Bilbao along the northern coast; Salamanca, Madrid, and Toledo in the central region, and Cordova, Seville, and Cadiz to the south. A small region in the north, east of Kingdom of Castile and bordering France, is labeled Kingdom of Navarre. A fourth region is labeled Kingdom of Aragon, extending from the eastern border of the Kingdom of Castile to the Mediterranean Sea, with France to the north. Cities include Saragossa in the center, and Barcelona and Valencia on the coast. Also part of Aragon are the Balearic Islands off the coastline in the Mediterranean Sea. The fifth region, the Kingdom of Granada, is a small territory sitting below the Kingdom of Castile and bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Cities included are Malaqah and Granada. A scale shows 200 miles and 200 kilometers.
A map of the world showing the Spanish claims and Portuguese claims in circa 1550. The regions with Spanish claims are marked at Spain, Eastern coast of South America, Panama Canal, and parts of Philippines.
The regions with Portuguese claims are marked at Western coast of South America, Some coastal regions of Africa, and Coastal regions of India, Singapore, and Malaysia.
A vertical line is drawn across Greenland and South America and is labeled line of demarcation, Treaty of Tordesillas (1494). Another vertical line is drawn across Russia, Asia, and Australia and is labeled line of demarcation, Treaty of Saragossa (1529).

Analyze the maps to identify the connection between the growth of the Spanish Empire and the spread of Catholicism.

(1 point)
Responses

After Spain merged the kingdoms of Castile and Portugal, it was able to use Castile as a launching point to spread Christianity to North America.
After Spain merged the kingdoms of Castile and Portugal, it was able to use Castile as a launching point to spread Christianity to North America.

After Spain merged the kingdoms of Aragon and Navarre, it was able to use Navarre as a launching point to spread Christianity to the Americas.
After Spain merged the kingdoms of Aragon and Navarre, it was able to use Navarre as a launching point to spread Christianity to the Americas.

After Spain merged the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile, it acquired Granada and was able to use it as a launching point to spread Christianity to the Americas.
After Spain merged the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile, it acquired Granada and was able to use it as a launching point to spread Christianity to the Americas.

After Spain merged the kingdoms of Granada and Portugal, it was able to use Portugal as a launching point to spread Christianity to the Americas.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The connection between the growth of the Spanish Empire and the spread of Catholicism can be best summarized by the following response:

After Spain merged the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile, it acquired Granada and was able to use it as a launching point to spread Christianity to the Americas.

This response reflects the historical context where the unification of Spanish kingdoms, particularly Castile and Aragon, and the completion of the Reconquista with the capture of Granada in 1492, laid the foundation for Spain's expansion into the Americas. Spain saw the spread of Christianity, particularly Catholicism, as a critical component of its imperial mission, led by figures such as Christopher Columbus, who sought to convert indigenous populations as they established colonies.