Social Studies 8:
Unit 2--Worldviews in Conflict
Chapter 9: Spain Looks
Westward
Christopher Columbus
Read the intro to the chapter on page 193.
We know from the Renaissance unit that
Columbus set out from Spain in 1492 and
landed in the Americas.
In this chapter, we will focus on what was
happening in Spain at the time and what
factors led King Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella to support Columbus’s venture.
Geography and Religion
Look at the map on page 194.
Note Spain’s geographical location.
It pushes west into the Atlantic
Ocean.
For centuries, seafaring people like
Columbus must have gazed out on
the Atlantic Ocean and wondered
what lay on the other side.
Geography and Religion
The people of Spain have a saying:
“La geographica manda,” which
means, “Geography controls
everything.”
Spain’s location between Africa and
Europe had a great influence on its
religious history.
Introduction to Muslim Spain
At the beginning of the Middle Ages,
almost everyone in Spain, as in the rest of
Europe, was Christian.
Spain was ruled by the visigoths, a
people who had invaded Spain from the
north at the end of the Roman Empire.
Internal struggles and a series of weak
rulers left the area vulnerable to an attack
from the outside.
Introduction to Muslim Spain
In 711, a Muslim force led by Tariq
ibn-Ziyad crossed the Strait of
Gibraltar and landed in Spain.
In a few years, the Muslims
conquered almost the entire Iberian
Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).
Spain fell under Muslim rule at this
time.
Introduction to Muslim Spain
In order to create a sense of national
identity, the new rulers began the
construction of a large, beautiful
mosque in the city of Cordoba.
In time, many Christians converted to
Islam, but some did not.
Mosque in Cordoba
Muslim Spain: Life & Society
For the next 5 centuries, Spain was part of
a large empire.
The Arab Islamic world was part of the
largest economic trade zone in the world.
This empire included people from many
cultures, each with their own customs.
Muslim rulers and rich merchants
supported the arts. However the arts
reflected Islamic (Muslim) values.
Muslim Spain: Centres of Learning
Learning was greatly valued in Muslim
society as a way of understanding the
universe and to aid in living an ethical
(morally proper) life.
The world’s first university was established
in Cairo in 971, (over 200 years before the
first university in Europe).
Muslim Spain: Centres of Learning
Some of the cities of Muslim Spain
(Cordoba, Seville, and Granada) became
great areas of learning.
Muslims studied medicine and science,
translating books and essays of the
ancient Greeks, who they admired.
Islamic scholars knew much more about
natural science than Europeans.
Muslim Spain: Religious Tolerance
Muslim Spain was a society that was
tolerant of religious minorities (they
allowed them to exist).
The Christians controlled a narrow
Northern strip. This led to the
Reconquista, which was a war about
religious differences.
Modern Day Connections
Read “Voices” on page 198 to see how
religious tolerance is practiced in many
countries today, including Canada.
Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms
guarantees religious freedoms.
The Spanish Reconquista
The sectioning of Al-Andaluz into a
number of independent states
(principalities) led to the loss of a unified
Muslim state. This led the way for the
Reconquista.
The Reconquista began as a way for
Christian kingdoms to expand their power
and influence.
The Spanish Reconquista
Christians across Europe came to help
Spanish Christians win territory from
Muslims.
The Spanish developed a new fighting
technique that made them the deadliest
fighting force in Europe.
By January 1492, Spain was a Christian
land.
The Spanish Reconquista
Look on page 199 and discuss the
questions.
Look at the timeline and the map to see
the reclaiming of Spain by Christian
forces.
The Spanish Reconquista
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/com
mons/c/ca/Spanish_reconquista.gif
Creating a Christian Spain
The Reconquista was a long process.
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of
Spain were so devoted to their religion that
the pope in Rome gave them a special
title—”Catholic Monarchs.”
The events of the Reconquista influenced
their future behaviour and decisions
greatly.
The Spanish Inquisition: Now
What?
To unite Spain, King Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella took over the Spanish
Inquisition from the Church.
The Inquisition was a state-run system of
courts that put people of non-Catholic
faiths on trial for their beliefs.
Muslims and Jews were given a choice:
convert or be exiled (sent out of country).
The Spanish Inquisition (Extra)
Muslims and Jews lived in fear that they
would be discovered and punished for
their religious beliefs.
The exile of Jews and Muslims had a
negative effect on Spain. Many of these
people made up the educated middle
class, which made economic growth
difficult for Spain.
The Spanish Inquisition
Many Jews and
Muslims were tortured
in order to get them to
reveal their religious
beliefs and to convert
to Catholicism.
“Nobody Expects the Spanish
Inquisition”
Spanish Inquisition: Saving
Souls
Ferdinand and Isabella believed they had
a religious duty to convert as many
people as possible to Catholicism.
This belief became part of the Spanish
worldview, and was one of the main
reasons why the king supported
Columbus’s plans.
New land=new people to convert.
Missionaries were sent with explorers in
order to do this.
Gold and Glory
As we learned in Chapter 5, one of the key
motivations for European explorers was
the search for gold.
Explorers wanted to be wealthy.
The monarchs who supported the
explorers needed gold to support their
countries’ economies.
European economies were based on their
supplies of gold and silver during the
Renaissance.
Gold and Glory: Wealth for Spain
In 1492, Spain had used up all its gold and
silver. Fighting a war was expensive.
The Christians had been fighting the
Muslims for many years, which used up all
the gold reserves.
Ferdinand and Isabella hoped that
Columbus would bring back gold from his
travels to support the Spanish economy.
Gold and Glory: Wealth for Spain
Columbus found small amounts of gold in
his early voyages, but he exaggerated
how much there was in the areas he
visited.
As a result, the king and queen were
happy to continue to support Columbus’s
voyages.
The desire for trade and gold drove
Spain’s exploration of the American
continents.
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
Changes Between Columbus’s 1st
and 2nd Voyages
More ships in his fleet.
More people in his company.
Many different types of people to do
different jobs when new land was
discovered:
– Sailors
– Soldiers (for protection in case of war)
– Missionaries (to convert people)
– Settlers (to develop permanent settlements)
Columbus was told specifically to take over
(to claim) any newly found land.
Personal Wealth
Traditionally, Spanish nobles had two
ways to support themselves: war and
land.
Nobles fought for their monarch, and were
rewarded with land. They took
crops/livestock from the peasants living
there.
One group of nobles, called hidalgos, did
not own land because after the
Reconquista there was a land shortage.
Personal Wealth (con’t)
The hidalgos believed their class was too
high to work with their hands—it was
demeaning (below them).
To earn income, they became involved in
business/commerce and went to the
Americas to seek their fortune.
The Black Legend of the
Conquistadors
Read the “Voices” article on page 210.
Other countries (France, Holland,
England) launched a propaganda
campaign against Spain and the
Conquistadors in order to turn people
against Spain and to further their own
colonies in the world.
Conquistadors
Taking a Risk for Glory
Not all people who risked going to the
Americas were people who sought riches.
Some wanted to make a name for
themselves and to earn respect in Spain
for finding new lands.
Cortés, who we will be learning about in
the next chapter, was already a wealthy
man before he went to the Americas. He
was seeking glory and fame.
How does El-Cid fit into this?
Read the “Zoom In” section on page 211
and the information on page 212.
A statue of El-Cid is located in San Diego,
and is one way Spanish people recognize
their culture.
A 12th-century Spanish epic poem
celebrates El-Cid’s positive, knightly
qualities.
El-Cid’s Knightly Qualities
Military success
Loyalty
Fairness
Faith in God
All these qualities became part of the
code of chivalry, which governed the
behaviour of all Christian soldiers.