Isabella I of Castile, also known as Isabella the Catholic (Spanish-Isabel la Catolica) was a dominating figure in the history of Spain. She was born on April 22, 1451 in Madrigal de las Altas Torres, Castile, and died on November 26, 1504, in Medina del Campo, Spain. She became queen of two kingdoms, Castile(1474), and Aragon (1479), staying the queen of both, in a way, until her unfortunate, yet unavoidable, death. Her husband was Ferdinand II of Aragon, and her parents were John II of Castile, and Isabella of Portugal, who was actually John’s second wife. Her half brother became King Henry IV of Castile. Isabella played a role in many things that were of great importance. These include the formation of Spain through her marriage, the Reconquista, …show more content…
and the sponsorship of Christopher Columbus. Since Isabella was heiress to the throne of Castile, her future marriage was a big deal, and it became a subject of great discussion and debate as to whom she should marry. She got marriage candidates from Portugal, Aragon, and France. King Henry IV appeared to have been pushing for Afonso V, who was the King of Portugal. Isabella and her council were deciding between Afonso, and Ferdinand of Aragon. Obviously, she decided on Ferdinand. The following is a quote describing her marriage to him from Briticanna.com: “A third suitor, the French duc de Guienne, was sidestepped, and without Henry’s approval she married Ferdinand in October 1469 in the palace of Juan de Vivero, at Valladolid.” In 1474, King Henry died, leaving Isabella to become queen. This was, of course, opposed by those who believed that they had a chance at becoming Henry IV’s heir when she had been on his bad side for marrying Ferdinand without his approval. Quite literally defeating them, she went on to become the rightful queen. In 1475, Ferdinand’s first will made Isabella his heir in Aragon, also openly declaring the good things that his subjects would get from the union with Castile. The year 1479, John II of Aragon died. Thus Ferdinand became King of Aragon, while Isabella was Queen of Castile. Their marriage would eventually lead to the union of their two kingdoms, but that would be long in coming. For the time being, the two kingdoms would continue to be governed separately. Once they were to join together, though, this would become the country of Spain. Both Isabella and Ferdinand wanted to end the Reconquista.
A quote from an article on Britannica.com says: “the two sovereigns were certainly united in aiming to end the long process of Reconquista by taking over the kingdom of Granada--the last Muslim stronghold in Spain.” The conquest of Granada began in 1482, lasting until 1492. The conquest was no easy win, and it lasted for a long time, also straining Castile’s finances. Some features of the campaign were medieval, and some of them were new. Isabella had a keen eye to the goings of war. She seems to have been responsible for improved methods of supply, and the establishment of a military hospital. In 1491 she and Ferdinand set up headquarters in Santa Fe, close to Granada, until Granada finally fell on January 2nd of the following …show more content…
year. While Isabella was still at Santa Fe, another major happening occurred.
It involved someone who nearly everyone past 6 years old knows the name of, or at least the rhyme related to him. Christopher Columbus. “Columbus visited her there to enlist support for the voyage that was to result in the European settlement of America.”(Britannica.com) To those who know more about Christopher Columbus than just his name, and the rhyme, the names Isabella and Ferdinand should seem familiar. Yes, this is that Isabella (and Ferdinand). The condition by which the voyage to discover a new way to the Indies were written up on April 17, 1492. The New World that was found and explored because of Isabella’s decision was adjoined to the land considered to be under the crown of Castile, like it has been done with previous discoveries in the Atlantic. If one were to follow the dots, it could be said that she caused the eradication of the practice of keeping slaves. If she hadn’t sponsored Christopher Columbus, he wouldn’t have discovered the New World. Then the colonies would not have been set up, America would not be the way it was when people began to fight the idea of slaves, and then there would still be slaves, from whenever people conquered each other’s lands. Wouldn’t that be just plain horrible? Except people as a whole wouldn’t really know that it would be horrible, because there has never been another way, another country/kingdom that they could see stop with slavery, and realize that
they need to stop, too. That’s how much one little turning point in history could change the entire formation of the future. Think of that. If Isabella were to be taken out of the picture, there might consequently still be slavery in the world, just because she decided not to sponsor some random guy on his quest to find another way to the Indies. A terrifying thought indeed. Especially so because ordinarily people do not think about slaves too much if they do not have to. To conclude this lovely account of some of Isabella the Catholic’s greatest deeds, one must turn to Isabella’s legacy. Isabella influenced much of how people view the modern world. For one, her decision to marry Ferdinand eventually led to the creation of the country Spain. She played a great role in the Reconquista by defeating the kingdom of Granada. And who could forget that it was her sponsorship that led to the discovery of the places where many people now reside, North America. There is no doubt that Isabella was a great figure in history, and that she has had a great impact on where civilization is now.
Although the couple were really especially known for sending explorers like Christopher Columbus abroad, that actually is not their most effective achievement. Their most effective achievement was 10-year bloodbath of a war that was called the Granada War. Their main focus was to rid Spain entirely of its Muslim population. Ferdinand and Isabella took their Christian faith to the next level just to do so. In January of the year of 1442 they were successful, as they were able to wipe out the Muslims (PBS).
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, and he discovered the new land and wrote a letter to Luis de Sant’ Angel in 1493.Columbus was telling Angel about the island that he landed on it.
The Influences of Sor Juana and Julia de Burgos Most every human being has encountered a time in their life when he or she has felt suppressed. However, not every person has stood up against the people and forces that have kept them oppressed. It takes a truly extraordinary person to stand up for themselves and to take a stand for the greater good of others. According to Clare Booth Luce: “courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount.” The Mexican writer, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz and the Puerto Rican writer, Julia de Burgos, acknowledged the fact that they were suppressed by the male gender.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus was a self-made man who worked his way up to being the Captain of a merchant vessel. He gained the support of the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, for an expedition to the Indies. With the support of the Spanish monarchy, he set off to find a new and faster trade route to the Indies. Upon the arrival of his first voyage, Columbus wrote a letter to Luis de Santangel, a “royal official and an early supporter of his venture,” in February 1493 (35). The epistle, letter, entitled “Letter to Luis de Santangel Regarding the First Voyage” was copied and then distributed in Spain before being translated and spread throughout Europe. The Letter is held in such regard with the people as it is considered the first printed description of the new world. Through his description of the nature of the islands, Columbus decided the future fate of the islands. His description of the vast beauty of the nature around him, declares both the economic and nationalistic motivations for colonizing the new world.
Before the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Moors were in control of much of the Iberian Peninsula. They desperately wanted to unite Spain and turn it into a Christian nation (“Isabella and Ferdinand”). Isabella carefully concocted a plan that would progress her ambition. She proposed to Ferdinand that they marry, which would unify Castile and Aragon, and kick-start the unification of Spain (“Ferdinand V”).
Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain were the duo monarchs of the new nation of Spain, brought together by their families' lands of Argon and Castille. Ferdinand of Argon, son of John II of Argon, rose to power through his marriage to Isabella of Castille. Isabella of Castille was the daughter of King John I, of Castille. After King John I died, her older brother was the next heir I'm line, King Henry IV. When King Henry IV was seen unfit to rule by nobles, he was pushed aside to let his younger half-brother Alfonso take the throne. Fortunately, at least for Isabella, Alfonso soon after died of the plague, and had named her his successor in his will. This king and queen brought together their people firstly by completing the Reconquista, the expulsion of people practicing Muslim and Judism, to unify their nation under the religion of Roman Cathlioc. Although this couple's greatest achievement was their funding towards Christopher Columbus who ultimately found the New World. Through this, and their "claim" of it, Spain grew prostperous through the collection and mineing of silver and gold. This also lead to colonization and tr...
Although this essay is historically accurate it lacks important details, which might paint a different view of Columbus. Boorstin writes favorable of Columbus and depicts him as a heroic and determined figure who helped shape history, but he neglects to include Columbus’ unethical acts committed in the world that was not supposed to exist, the Americas. When Columbus first discovered the New World, he took care that the royal standard had been brought ashore and he claimed the land for Spain in front of all, including the indigenous population who had been sighted even before Columbus made landfall. According to the medieval concepts of natural law, only those territories that are uninhabited can become the property of the first person to discover them. Clearly this was an unethical act. Thus, the first contact between European and non-European worlds was carried out through a decidedly European prism, which ensured Spanish claim to the islands of the Americas. Faced with a colony in an inhospitable area, the Spanish soon inaugurated the practice of sending regular military parties inland to subdue the increasingly hostile natives. Members of the indigenous population were captured and enslaved to support the fledgling colony. The object of Columbus’ desire changed from exploration and trade to conquest and subjugation.
Without intention, in 1492 Christopher Columbus initiated an event that is perhaps the most important historical turning point in modern times to the American Continents. . “For thousands of years before 1492, human societies in America had developed in isolation from the rest of the world. ”(P. 4) Christopher Columbus and other European voyagers ended all this beginning in 1492 as they searched for treasure and attempted to spread Christianity. For the first time, people from Europe, Africa, and the Americas were in regular contact. Columbus was searching for one thing and discovered something entirely different.
Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon were one of the most famous married couples in history. Isabella was beautiful. “She had blue eyes and chestnut hair.” “She was just striking” (Isaacs). By the time she was 18, she wore beautiful gowns and jewels. “She wore them throughout her life” (Isaacs). Ferdinand and Isabella ruled Spain in a joint ruling, converted Muslims to Christianity, sponsored Christopher Columbus’s journey to a New World, had a family and Isabella even had time for education. Isabella and Ferdinand were devout Catholics that pushed and strived for Christianity in Spain. Despite their extreme measure to push for Christianity, their time in reign was the Golden Age of Spain.
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. However, even after centuries later, little is truly known of the mysterious voyage and findings of the new world.1 By examining “Letter from Columbus to Luis Santangel”, one can further contextualize the events of Columbus' exploration of the New World. The letter uncovers Columbus' subtle hints of his true intentions and exposes his exaggerated tone that catered to his lavish demands with Spain. Likewise, The Columbian Voyage Map read in accordance with the letter helps the reader track Columbus' first, second, third, and fourth voyage to the New World carefully and conveniently. Thus, the letter and map's rarity and description render invaluable insight into Columbus' intentionality of the New World and its indigenous inhabitants.
Be not dismayed at all For scandall cannot doe us wrong, God will not let us fall. Let England knowe our willingnesse, For that our work is good; Wee hope to plant a nation Where none before hath stood. (Morison, pg. 89) Originally, when Christopher Columbus landed on the shores of America en route to Asia, he was not interested in discovering new lands. Most Europeans at the time were looking for a way to get at the oldest part of the Old World, the East Indies.
“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” This phrase, which most children are taught in elementary education, helps them learn about Christopher Columbus. Most Americans grow up to believe that Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover the “new world”. However, historical documentation has shown that the Spanish were not the first Europeans to discover North America. The Norsemen, led by Bjarne Sigvatson, claimed the new world for the King Magnus several centuries earlier.
Queen Isabella is famous for two events in her lifetime: The Spanish Inquisition and funding Christopher Columbus’ journey that led to the discovery of America. Isabelle and Ferdinand courageously led Spain throughout the late 15th and early 16th centuries. During this time, the two ruled two halves of Spain. Ferdinand was ruler of Aragon and Isabella ruled Castile. The partnership earned the title of the “Catholic Monarch” due to their role in the Inquisition.
There is also a reference in this story about “God’s Plan”; Queen Isabella believed in Christianity so much that she ordered her kingdom to be devoted practicing Christians. Anyone who did not obey was burned. This appealed to Columbus because he thought God chose him to lead this voyage and only he could succeed. There were many references when Columbus’s ego was in the way, he stated “this is God’s Plan. He handed all the information personally to Columbus”. This makes the reader believe Columbus had a noble cause even though it was a selfish one. Again, referencing back to the middle working class being below Columbus, there was an undertone that his crew were stupid and did not have a strong faith. They could not possibly understand because they were not superior like Columbus. Once the crew arrived at the first island, they were greeted by the natives. The author Fritz does try to give the perspective of the natives. First was the white man’s perspective, “Half naked and only covered up by a leaf, but they were not all that different from
This is Queen Isabella of Spain writing to inform you that King Ferdinand and I have upon received the letter you have written us. We must say how magnificent it is that after reading this letter of yours, since all your traveling to the world we are aware of the new land that you uphold. I must say so myself I am nothing but more than intrigued by your discoveries and I wish nothing but the best for you on other journeys you might want to encounter. Seems that when we sponsored this trip on your behalf we were assure that you would at least find what you already had in mind, that would have made a immeasurable of economic standpoints, which would have been, things