Isabella I of Castile

Isabella I ruled Castile from 1474 to 1504. Her marriage to Ferdinand II of Aragon joined the crowns dynastically, and her government sponsored Christopher Columbus’s 1492 Atlantic voyage.

Ferdinand II of Aragon: King of Aragon from 1479 to 1516, Ferdinand II ruled jointly with Isabella I in Castile and pursued expansion across the Mediterranean. Their marriage and joint rule linked Castile and Aragon while preserving distinct crowns and institutions.
Alhambra Decree: A 1492 edict ordered Jews to convert to Christianity or leave the crowns of Castile and Aragon. Issued by Isabella and Ferdinand, it forced the expulsion or conversion of Jewish communities.
John II of Castile: King of Castile from 1406 to 1454 and father of Isabella I. His reign established the dynasty and political setting into which Isabella was born.
Christopher Columbus: A Genoese navigator whose 1492 expedition across the Atlantic reached Caribbean islands under the Spanish Crown’s sponsorship. Isabella and Ferdinand approved the voyage and negotiated its terms with him.
Mary I of England: Queen of England from 1553 to 1558, Mary I restored Catholicism after the Protestant reforms of Edward VI. Her later religious policy offers a comparison with Isabella’s coercive Catholic reforms.
War of the Castilian Succession: A conflict from 1475 to 1479 over the Castilian throne between Isabella’s supporters and those of Joanna la Beltraneja. Victory secured Isabella’s contested claim to Castile.
Expulsion of the Jews from Spain: The departure of Jews from Castile and Aragon after the 1492 decree required conversion or exile. The decree transformed Jewish life across the kingdoms Isabella ruled.
Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Castile: The second wife of John II of Castile and mother of Isabella I. She was Isabella’s mother and a source of her dynastic claim.
Torquemada: Tomás de Torquemada was the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition, appointed in 1483. His leadership shaped the tribunal established under Isabella and Ferdinand.
Henry VIII: King of England from 1509 to 1547, Henry VIII broke with papal authority and established the Church of England. His break with Rome contrasts with the Catholic unity Isabella sought to enforce.

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