The year 1492 is one of the most important in Spanish history. While Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic, Jews were forced to flee east, ending over a thousand years of Jewish presence on the Iberian Peninsula. That same year, the Catholic Monarchs completed the reconquest by defeating the Muslim-controlled Kingdom of Granada. These seemingly separate events were driven by a single unified goal: transforming Spain into a fully Christian nation.

In this episode, we examine the fourteen-year period from 1478 to 1492, which had a profound impact on Spanish society. How did a country with Europe's largest and most integrated Jewish population shift from centuries of coexistence to systematic persecution and complete expulsion in just two decades?

The answer lies at the intersection of three powerful forces: royal authority, religious orthodoxy, and manufactured crisis. When Isabel and Fernando established the Spanish Inquisition in 1478, they created an unprecedented institution—ecclesiastical in origin but controlled by the crown, rather than by Rome.

We delve into the "converso problem"—New Christians whose conversions from Judaism were doubted, fostering suspicion that poisoned Spanish society. We examine how the Inquisition relied on denunciations, often from Jews, implicating entire communities. We trace how blood purity laws shifted religious discrimination from belief to ancestry.

When the Inquisition couldn't solve the converso issue through prosecution alone, expulsion became the next logical step. The edict of March 31, 1492, gave Jews four months to convert or leave. What followed was devastating—families torn apart, communities scattered, and the destruction of Sephardic culture that had thrived in Spain for over a thousand years.

This episode examines the consequences of religious conformity driven by political necessity, when diversity is perceived as a threat rather than a reality, and when the machinery of persecution is intentionally designed to enforce uniformity.

Further Reading:

The Spain of the Catholic Monarchs, 1474-1520 by John Edwards

The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision by Henry Kamen

The Spanish Inquisition: A History by Joseph Perez

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

In 1480, the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon faced a pivotal moment. Years of civil war, noble violence, and weakening royal authority had left Spain divided and fragile. However, during a single parliamentary session—the Cortes of Toledo—Isabel and Fernando implemented reforms that would turn their kingdoms into one of Europe's strongest monarchies.

This episode examines the landmark 1480 Cortes and the institutional innovations that helped the Catholic Monarchs consolidate power. We explore the Act of Resumption, which reclaimed crown revenues and created an important exchange with the nobility; the restructuring of royal councils that prioritized trained lawyers over hereditary nobles; the expansion of the Santa Hermandad into an effective police force and military system; and the systematic deployment of corregidores to extend royal authority into every municipality.

But did Isabel and Fernando intentionally pursue a centralized "modern state," or were they conservative rulers whose methods unintentionally led to revolutionary outcomes? We examine competing historical interpretations, from traditional stories of enlightened state-building to revisionist views highlighting pragmatic deals with elites. The evidence shows a complex picture: monarchs who claimed their actions were restorations while fundamentally changing power structures, creating institutions that would govern a global empire for centuries.

Learn how theatrical shows, legal innovations, and strategic compromises helped two leaders establish the roots of Spanish imperial power—and why historians still debate their real motives.

Resources:

The Spain of the Catholic Monarchs by John Edwards

Isabel the Queen by Peggy K. Liss

The Spanish Kingdoms: 1250-1516, Vol 2: Castilian Hegemony by J.N. Hillgarth

Imperial Spain by John Huxtable Elliott

Support the show

Find us on Substack. Both Free and Premium content is available:

https://substack.com/@itakehistorywithmycoffee

Podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/i-take-history-with-my-coffee/
Visit my blog at itakehistory.com and also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

Comments and feedback can be sent to itakehistory@gmail.com.
You can also leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Refer to the episode number in the subject line.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

Visit audibletrial.com/itakehistory to sign up for your free trial of Audible, the leading destination for audiobooks.

Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D

Send Me A Text Message

In October 1469, two 17-year-old cousins made a decision that would change European history. Their secret marriage, performed with a possibly forged papal bull and in direct defiance of the King of Castile, sparked a decade-long struggle that would determine the future of medieval Spain.

This episode details the unlikely alliance between Isabel of Castile and Fernando of Aragon—from their secret wedding in Valladolid to their ultimate victory in the War of Succession. We examine how Isabella, raised in provincial obscurity and not expected to rule, claimed her right to the Castilian throne, and how Ferdinand, a battle-hardened prince from a struggling kingdom, became her vital partner in power.

Through military defeats and financial crises, Portuguese invasion, and noble betrayal, the young monarchs forged a partnership that combined Isabella's moral authority with Ferdinand's military expertise. The Battle of Peleagonzalo, the siege of Toro, and the subsequent diplomatic maneuvering demonstrate how two inexperienced rulers became the founders of early modern Spain.

Their success set the precedents that would shape Spanish imperial expansion, from finishing the Reconquista to funding Columbus's voyage to the New World. But it all started with a risky gamble: a secret marriage that triggered a civil war and challenged the political order of fifteenth-century Iberia.

Resources:

The Spain of the Catholic Monarchs by John Edwards

Isabel the Queen by Peggy K. Liss

The Spanish Kingdoms: 1250-1516, Vol 2: Castilian Hegemony by J.N. Hillgarth

Support the show

Find us on Substack. Both Free and Premium content is available:

https://substack.com/@itakehistorywithmycoffee

Podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/i-take-history-with-my-coffee/
Visit my blog at itakehistory.com and also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

Comments and feedback can be sent to itakehistory@gmail.com.
You can also leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Refer to the episode number in the subject line.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can help support my work to deliver great historical content. Consider buying me a coffee:
I Take History With My Coffee is writing a history blog and doing a history podcast. (buymeacoffee.com)

Visit audibletrial.com/itakehistory to sign up for your free trial of Audible, the leading destination for audiobooks.

Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D