Final answer:
Spain and Portugal were the first two empires of the Iberian Peninsula that extended their sovereignty overseas, beginning with the Azores and Canary Islands and later expanding into the Americas. Their conquests included the defeat of the Aztecs and Incas, establishing patterns of control that shaped the colonial history.
Step-by-step explanation:
The First Two Empires of the Iberian Peninsula with Overseas Sovereignty
The Iberian Peninsula saw its first two overseas empires with Spain and Portugal leading the European Age of Discovery. These countries embarked on their imperial projects overseas, starting with the Azores and Canary Islands in the late 1400s. Subsequently, they expanded into the Americas following Columbus's voyages in 1492. The Spanish, in particular, established control over the Aztec Empire and the Inca Empire, toppling the indigenous empires and instituting Spanish Viceroys. This was part of a broader pattern of conquest where they collaborated with native allies, kidnapped local leaders, and inadvertently introduced diseases like smallpox that devastated indigenous populations. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to sponsor voyages of exploration, with Bartholomew Diaz rounding the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, which was driven by a desire to trade directly with Asia.