The year 1492 was a momentous one in Spanish history. With the fall of the Muslim state of Granada, Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile completed the Christian reconquista (reconquest) of the Iberian Peninsula. Having driven the “infidels” from their last Iberian stronghold, they turned to the “enemy within,” issuing a proclamation expelling all Jews from their lands. It was at this moment, fired with a crusading spirit and eager to gain access to the wealth of Asia, that Ferdinand and Isabella chose to sponsor the exploratory westward voyage of Christopher Columbus. Keep this larger context in mind as you read the documents included in this feature. How does this history help explain the motives and expectations of Columbus and his patrons?