Carlos Martínez Shaw (born 1945) is a Spanish historian, professor emeritus of Early Modern History at the National University of Distance Education (UNED).

Born at calle de Cano y Cueto 14, in Seville on 28 June 1945,[1] he obtained a licentiate degree in History from the University of Seville in 1967.

[2] As he joined the University of Barcelona to work in a research project on the colonial trade, he began to write his PhD thesis under the guidance of Valentín Vázquez de Prada [es].

[3] He earned the PhD in 1973,[2] reading a dissertation titled Cataluña en la carrera de Indias (1680-1756).

[5][6] He assumed as numerary member of the Royal Academy of History (RAH) in November 2007, covering the chair #32 left vacant by the demise of Ángel Suquía, as he read a speech titled El sistema comercial español del Pacífico (1765–1820).