History of Spain

Expulsion of the Moriscos by Sarah Bachmann

A converso, marrano, or New Christian is person converted to Christianity from Judaism or a descendant of a baptized Jew.¹

The current research debates the true religion and life of conversos living in Spain after the Expulsion of 1492. Some scholars believe that conversos remained faithful to their Jewish roots and practiced their religion secretly as “crypto-Jews.” Alternatively, others reason that conversos were devout Christians. Still others see it as more heterogeneous. ²

Even though it is impossible to prove what religion people practiced privately, it is evident that early modern Spain struggled with a social problem revolving around conversos. This research will prove that this social problem produced fear through first the limpieza de sangre laws, then the Expulsion in 1492, and lastly the Inquisition. These institutions ingrained beliefs towards conversos effecting their lives after the Expulsion. Through art, historical documents, and literature one will see the presence of heightened public fear of conversos even though the majority of conversos were average Spainards that ranged from devout Christians to individuals who did not even attend Mass.

Continue

In the late fifteenth century, Isabel I of Castile sponsored the voyage of Christopher Columbus’ journey to Asia. En route, he landed in the Caribbean and claimed the land he found there as a Castilian possession. This discovery was the start of Spain’s exploration and colonization of the Americas that lasted for hundreds of years. The period of exploration that covered 1492 until 1550 saw the creation and rapid expansion of Spain’s overseas American empire. This was an era that showcased some of the early problems with overseeing a global empire, including interactions with and government of Native Americans and how to create a transatlantic political system. Spain’s possession of a handful of islands west of the Azores transformed into the Spanish Empire, one of the largest and most powerful empires of the early modern age.

Isabel of Castile (r. 1474-1504). Juan de Flandes, “Isabella The Catholic, Queen of Castile and Spain,” late fifteenth century, ARTstor, JPG, http://library.artstor.org (accessed November 20, 2010).

Though the Spanish empire overseen by Charles V was still relatively small by 1550, the previous six decades had a profound effect on how Spain saw itself in a global context. On both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Spaniards were given cause to rethink their role in the continued growth of the empire. In Spain, politicians worked with other imperial powers and the Church in order to protect their overseas investments. As explorers began to interact with the native population, questions of humanity and capacity for knowledge drove Spanish ideology. Though economics drove exploration, it was the explorers’ religion that came to define them. Together, these interactions had a profound impact on how Spain saw itself as it evolved from a collection of states to a global empire. As the earliest era of the global Spanish empire, the period form 1492 until 155) was important in laying the foundation of how the empire viewed itself through politics, relations with natives, and Christianity.

Charles V (r. 1516-1556). Titian, “Emperor Charles V,” 1548, ARTstor, JPG file, http://library.artstor.org (accessed November 20, 2010).

For more, please see:

Exploration’s Political Impact on Spain

Interactions with Native Americans

Religion and Exploration

Conclusions and Works Cited

Queen Isabel of Castile (r. 1474-1504).

Thank you for visiting my blog The Morisco Expulsion for Professor Poska’s History of Spain course. This blog attempts to provide some insight into what it means to be a Morisco(a) by looking at how they are portrayed in art, literature and primary source documents. The Morisco expulsion was not just the expulsion of a religious minority, it was the expulsion of Morisco culture: food, hygiene, dress, names, music, song, dance, an entire way of life. An expulsion that was fueled by a fear that the Morisco culture threatens the Catholic religious homogeneity and unity in Spain.

Topic Proposal

Judaizing in the Spanish Inquisition by Samantha Warring.

Religious art was meant to inspire and create

 a longing to be a part of the Church. The technique favored

by artists like El Greco and his contemporaries was light play.

By highlighting the primary areas of the painting, movement is

created.In this piece the Heavans are excited, the Virgin Mary is

shocked and humbled.