The Reconquista Completed
On January 2, 1492, the Muslim Emirate of Granada surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, ending nearly eight centuries of Islamic rule in the Iberian Peninsula.
This event was monumental. The Reconquista—the centuries-long Christian campaign to reclaim Spain—culminated in the unification of Spain under Christian rule.
Political and Religious Implications
The fall of Granada strengthened the newly unified Spanish monarchy, giving it the power and prestige to pursue overseas ventures.
It also intensified religious intolerance. Soon after, the Alhambra Decree expelled Jews from Spain unless they converted to Christianity, further centralizing religious authority and reshaping Spain’s demographic and cultural fabric.
Columbus Sets Sail: Opening the New World
Christopher Columbus’s Voyage
In August 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera with three ships—the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María—on a journey funded by the Spanish Crown. His mission: to find a westward sea route to Asia for trade in spices and gold.
On October 12, 1492, Columbus reached the shores of an island in the Bahamas, initiating the first lasting European contact with the Americas.
Immediate Consequences
Columbus’s voyages opened the floodgates for European exploration, conquest, and colonization of the Americas.
While he never realized he had encountered an entirely new continent, his voyages changed the world’s geographical understanding forever. shutdown123