ISABELLA OF CASTILE 1451 1504 SPANISH MONARCH ISABELLA OF CASTILE 1451 1504 REGION EUROPE GLOBAL RELATIONS ISABELLA WAS THE DAUGHTER OF JOHN II OF CASTILE WHEN SHE WAS BORN CASTILE WAS ONE OF FOUR CHRISTIAN KINGDOMS ON THE IBERIAN PENINSULA ISABELLA MARRIED FERDINAND OF ARAGON AND THEY DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO MAKING SPAIN ONE COUNTRY UNDER A SINGLE RULER AN IMPORTANT STEP IN UNIFICATION WAS THE RECONQUISTA THE FIGHT TO RETAKE THE MUSLIM STRONGHOLD OF GRANADA IN 1491 ISABELLA SET UP HEADQUARTERS NEAR GRANADA IN SANTA FE IN ORDER TO SUPERVISE THE WAR AGAINST THE MUSLIMS IN SANTA FE CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS THE ITALIAN EXPLORER VISITED ISABELLA AND REQUESTED FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR HIS VOYAGE TO SEEK A WESTERN PASSAGE TO ASIA ISABELLA AGREED TO FUND A SMALL EXPEDITION OF THREE SHIPS AND COLUMBUS SET SAIL IN AUGUST OF 1492 IN THE MEANTIME GRANADA FELL IN JANUARY 1492 AND SPAIN BECAME A UNIFIED COUNTRY FERDINAND AND ISABELLA ORDERED ALL NON CHRISTIANS TO EITHER CONVERT TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH OR LEAVE THE COUNTRY AT THE TIME OF HER DEATH ISABELLA WAS STRUGGLING WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF THE NATIVES IN THE LANDS COLUMBUS HAD NEWLY DISCOVERED SHE ORDERED THAT THE NATIVE AMERICANS BE TREATED HUMANELY BUT SHE DID NOT STRICTLY FORBID THE ENSLAVEMENT OF THOSE WHO RESISTED CONVERSION TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH OR THE AUTHORITY OF THE SPANISH CROWN
