Kids Cube/4_History.iso/jubilee/what.dat

Text File | 1992-03-07 | 1KB | 35 lines

   During the Columbus Exploratory period, another main
event was occurring in Spain. Spain sought to purify
its Catholicism by removing people who adhered to other
religions.
   800 years of civil war between Catholics and Moslems
ended on January 6,1942 when Ferdinand and Isabella marched
triumhantly through the final Moorish stronghold of
Granada. Columbus's demands for backing for the expedition
were at first rejected.
   Isabella and Ferdinand created a commission of experts
to evaluate Columbus's proposal.  They did not agree on
with Columbus's estimate that Asia was 3000 miles to the
West.  The sovereigns told him to come back later because
the war with Granada was consuming financial resources.
   When the conquest of Granada was ended, the Queen's
treasurer -- a converso-- encouraged the monarchs to
put up the money for the expedition. It cost around
$14,000 (or 2,000,000 maravedis) to fit out the First
Voyage.
   1492 is remembered as a tragic year in the history of
Jews. Nearly all Spanish Jews were conversos who had re-
nounced Judaism and converted to Christianity. The day
Columbus embarked was also the day the Spanish crown
decreed as the deadline for Jews to leave Spain. The exiled
Spanish Jews sailed for North Africa, Turkey, and Holland.
They were officially prohibited from settling in the
New World.  The modern government of Spain recognizes
freedom of religion and acknowledges Judaism in Spain.