Ferdinand & Isabella

Ferdinand and Isabella

Ferdinand and Isabella were very important to our world today. They contributed to the uniting of Spain and even the discovery of where we live today, the New World. They strengthened the power of the crown in Spain. They led Spain to be the leading country of exploration and sailing.

Isabella was born in Madrigal de las Altas Torras, Spain on April 22nd, 1451. When Henry IV died on December 10, 1474, Isabella acted quickly and rightfullay inherited the throne. Isabella was the daughter of John II, King of Castile and Leon. Ferdinand was born in Sos, Aragon on March 10th, 1452. Ferdinand succeeded his father as king of Aragon in 1479. On October 19th, 1469 in Valladolid they were married. The Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon were unified in a personal union creating for the first time since the eighth century a single political unit which is now known as Spain.

The first issue they dealt with after their marriage was the Spanish Inquisition. Ferdinand and Isabella embarked on a process of spiritual unification, trying to bring the country under one religion, Roman Catholicism. The Spanish inquisition lasted from 1478 to 1834. In 1478 Ferdinand and Isabella asked for permission to establish a branch of the Inquisition in Spain. Pope Sixtus IV granted them the permission they seeked. Pope Sixus IV granted this permission because there was believed to be a danger to the church from Jews masquerading to as Christians. Tomas de Torquemada was the first grand inquisitor. He persuades Ferdinand and Isabella to expel all of the Jews from Spain who were unwilling to convert to Christianity. In then end 160,000 leave. In 1502 the same demands were made for the Muslims. In 1492 Granada falls and the reconquest was complete. The Moors of Granada were promised religious freedom but this only lasted for a few years. This ended in 1502 when Jimenez de Cisneros, the archbishop of Toledo, decrees all Muslims convert to Christianity or leave.

Another great thing Ferdinand and Isabella accomplished was sponsoring Christopher Columbus on his quest to sail west. On August 3rd, 1492 he set sail with the Pinzon Brothers on the Santa Maria, Pinta and the Nina. He lands on an island in the Bahamas and names it after San Salvador, Jesus the savior. He then lands on Cuba. Columbus believes it to be Cipango, the place of marvels described by Marco Polo. Columbus lands on another large island, he names it Espanola or Hispaniola. He leaves a small colony there while he sails back to Spain. On March 15th he reaches Spain. In 1493 Columbus sails west with 1500 people to start a colony. He then discovers Guadalupe and Puerto Rico. When he returns to Hispaniola he finds the colony massacred by the natives. In Spain critics were enraged with the news and with Columbus. Columbus returns to confront the critics in Spain. He confronts him with some success