Ferdinand II of Aragon

The obscured Spanish inquisition took place from the years of 1478 through 1834. Isabella I of Castile and Fernando II of Aragon established this rule to overthrow the previous Medieval Inquisition. In connection of overthrowing the Medieval inquisition, the current Monarchs Isabella I and Ferdinand II of Aragon became suspicious of the Crypto-Jews. Crypto Jews were Jews who "converted" to Catholicism but were secrectly practicing Judaism. Not only was this inquisition intended to overthrow the…

“The prince and the princess lived happily ever after.” Well, Ferdinand and Isabella weren't exactly a fairytale, however they were much more than a married couple in rule of Spain. Ferdinand and Isabella, together, were efficient, strong, and effective rulers. They had major contributions and influenced lives today. Sponsoring Columbus’ voyage, creating the Spanish Inquisition, uniting Spain’s largest kingdoms, and kicking the Muslims and Jews out of Spain. Their biggest impact was…

Sir Thomas More said of King Henry VIII, “[that] [i]f a loin knew his strength, it [would be] hard for any man to hold him”.[1] This quote suggests that King Henry VIII knew exactly what it meant to be king and that nobody was going to stand in his way. This proved to be true as King Henry VIII was the most contentious king in England’s history. He is most famous for his six wives, two of whom he beheaded, and his role as instigator of the English Reformation. Through his manipulation of…

the Americas, Asia and much of Africa. They colonized much of the world for Europe in the 16th - 18th centuries. After Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492 and the first circumnavigation of the world by Juan Sebastian Elcano and Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, expeditions led by conquistadors in the 16th century established trading routes linking Europe with all these areas. Infections got around worldwide from Africa and Eurasia to the Americas. The spread of diseases like…

An Analysis of the Rise and Fall of Empirical Spain The European continent as a whole boasts an impressive list of nations and cultures of times past and present that dominated the world. One nation in particular, Spain, held a fairly impressive empire worth noting from the Fifteenth century to roughly the late Seventeenth, early eighteenth century. What is important about each Empire that the world has seen is what allowed it to become an empire; what allowed the nation to prosper and expand,…

Ferdinand and Isabella demanded tribute from Granada, the last Muslim stronghold in Spain. The Moorish King of Granada replied in 1476 that, “The mints of Granada coined no longer gold, but steel!” The Catholic Monarchs began attacking in 1482, Ferdinand leading the armies and Isabella supplying them from the rear even though she was pregnant with her fourth child. A 50,000-man…

The medieval inquisition had played a considerable role in Christian Spain during the 13th century, but the struggle against the Moors had kept the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula busy and served to strengthen their faith. When toward the end of the 15th century the Reconquista was all but complete, the desire for religious unity became more and more pronounced. Spain’s Jewish population, which was among the largest in Europe, soon became a target. Over centuries, the Jewish community in…

Castile (“Isabella I of Castile: The Queen that sponsored Columbus”). She did this because she did not think that her brother was a kind person and that he was not helping her in any way. While her brother was still king, she wished to marry Ferdinand of Aragon, and although she did not have the king’s blessing, she married him anyway. Because of this, her brother threatened that he would throw her in the dungeon for not listening to him, but he knew he would be looked down upon so he did not…

Ferdinand II, King of Aragon plays a large role in Machiavelli’s The Prince. Although Machiavelli utilizes Cesare Borgia as the central example figure, Ferdinand II is the ultimate example of Machiavelli’s teachings and message. Ferdinand is ruthless, his mind is always preoccupied with war, he acts on his ambitions swiftly and before others can, and has achieved a balance of being both pious and cruel. In the text he’s described as “an almost new prince,” one whose example you can find none…

After sailing with Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus) and then receiving a charter to explore, seize, and claim in the name of España (Spain) from King Fernando (King Ferdinand II of Aragon) and Queen Isabel ( Queen Isabella I of Castile), Rodrigo de Bastides set off from Cadiz in 1500 in search of new lands. He found the isthmus in 1501, but was unable to stay for very long because of his ship's deteriorating condition due to shipworms. Despite many attempts to repair them, his ships sank…