EXPELLING MUSLIMS AND MAKING WAY FOR NEW WORLD EXPLORATION THE RECONQUISTA

REMINDER: SPAIN CONQUERED BY MUSLIM INVADERS In the early 700’s AD Muslim invaders called Moors- from North Africa invaded the Iberian Peninsula. Almost immediately, Christian kings began efforts to take back territory in the Iberian Peninsula. These efforts to regain the Iberian Peninsula were known as the Reconquista or “the reconquest.”

WHAT IS THE RECONQUISTA?

UNITING SPAIN During the Reconquista Spain was divided into multiple kingdoms. Portugal split off in 1139 & formed own its kingdom. In 1469 Ferdinand of Aragon & Isabella of Castile married and founded Spain Both are devout Catholic rulers

THE OUSTING OF THE MOORS

RECONQUISTA The Moors maintained only the southern tip of the peninsula- the kingdom of Granada The Alhambra- palace of the Moorish kingdom of Granada

WAR AGAINST THE MOORS Between 1482 and 1492, Isabella and Ferdinand waged the Granada War to conquer all of Spain and unite it as one Christian kingdom. In 1492, they succeeded in defeating the last Moorish King, Boabdil.

EXPELLING THE MOORS At first the Catholic Monarchs allowed the Moors to worship and govern themselves. After a few years they began requiring the Moors to convert to Christianity. Many Moors fled to North Africa.

PAYING FOR THE WAR The Granada War was very expensive (it lasted 10 years) Much of it was paid for by confiscating the property of Spanish Jews.

JEWS IN SPAIN Jews in Spain held considerable power Jews worked in the courts of all the kings of Spain and Portugal In fact, Ferdinand and Isabella’s marriage was arranged by a mutual Jewish friend. Many early bankers were Jewish because Christians were banned from usury (charging interest on loans). But banks are critical, without them businesses can’t get started. These same bankers helped finance the war against the Moors

THE SPANISH INQUISITION Many of the most powerful and wealthy people in Spain were conversos, Jews whose family had converted to Christianity. The Inquisition was launched to purify Spanish society, especially of conversos who they believed were returning to their Jewish faith. The return to Judaism was believed to be heresy

PROVING A LAPSE OF FAITH Any traditionally “Jewish” rituals or behaviors could be considered a lapse of faith. Examples: not eating certain foods Not working Friday night-Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath, Christian Sabbath is Sunday) Eating traditionally Jewish food (Kosher)

WHAT IS THE INQUISION?

INQUISITION METHODS The Inquisition sought to find heretics To get these heretics to confess, inquisitors would employ threats and torture Thousands were tortured, imprisoned for life and/or burned at the stake in auto de fe (Act of Faith)

INQUISITION TORTURE

AUTO DE FE

JEWS EXPELLED Inquisitors decided that conversos were heretics and still under the influence of Jewish beliefs, so thousands of Jews were forced from Spain

SPAIN A UNIFIED CATHOLIC COUNTRY The Inquisition and expelling of the Jews and Moors was so successful, that by the 1500’s, Spain was almost completely Catholic In the process, Isabella and Ferdinand became the most powerful kings in Europe. Their expulsion of Jews and Muslims allowed the to focus their attention on trade and expansion elsewhere.

EFFECTS OF THE RECONQUISTAS It created “Fueros” gave Christian peasants permission to live in land deserted by Muslims so that Christianity would spread Catholicism becomes main religion of Iberia. Jews and Muslims are expelled and the Spanish Inquisition kills over 2,000 heretics. Leads to the Age of Exploration!!! Voyage of Columbus sponsored to celebrate victory over the Muslims in Granada. Begins Converting other cultures leading to the colonization of the Americas.