1492: A Turning Point in History Quiz

Answer: Granada

In 711 CE Muslim invaders conquered the Visigoth kingdom and brought most of the Iberian peninsula under Muslim rule. The Reconquista is a period of almost 800 years of on and off wars in which a number of emerging Christian kingdoms in the north tried to retake the Iberian peninsula from the Muslim invaders (also called Moors or Saracens).

Since the 13th Century only the Kingdom of Granada remained in Moorish hands. The final stage of the reconquista took place between 1482 and 1492, when the united forces of Aragon and Castile (Isabella of Aragon and Ferdinand of Castile were married in 1469) defeated the internally divided Moors. Granada only surrendered after an eight month siege. All of Granada's lands were annexed by Castile. This ended all Islamic rule in Andalusia.

Answer: Jews

Before the edict was issued approximately 200,000 Jews had already converted to Christianity out of fear for prosecution. Officially the goal of the edict was to 'protect' converts against the influence of the remaining Jewish population. For years new converts were considered suspicious by the ecclesiastical authorities and often targeted by the Spanish inquisition.

Answer: In Santa Fe Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Royals came to agree on the conditions of Columbus' voyage

For months Columbus and the Spanish crown had been negotiating the details of Columbus forthcoming voyage. Isabella and Ferdinand were represented by Juan de Coloma, Colombus was represented by friar Juan pérez.

In the treaty Columbus was granted the right to carry the title 'Don' (lord). He was appointed as admiral on all islands discovered by him on his journey on the Atlantic Ocean, for life and the title was inheritable by his ancestors. Columbus would own ten percent of all material goods acquired on the journey. Columbus would also own on one eight of the profits made from newly established trade routes that would become available as a result of his voyage.

Those were very favorable conditions indeed and would have made Columbus extremely rich. It is speculated that the Spanish royals were still so elated from their final victory in the Reconquista just a couple of months earlier that they were willing to agree on such conditions. As it turned out the Catholic Kings never upheld their end of the agreement.

The treaty didn't mention India, the supposed goal of the expedition, nor did it say anything about the conversion of heathens to Christianity.

Answer: Poland-Lithuania

Casimir IV Jagiellon had been King of Poland since 1447 and Grand Duke of Lithuania since 1440. During his reign the Teutonic Order was defeated in the Thirteen Years' war and Poland had become one of the leading European nations.

The Jagiellonian dynasty was founded by Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania, in 1386, when he married Jadwiga of Poland. Their marriage was the beginning of four centuries of unity between Poland and Lithuania, which culminated in the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569). At one time the Jagiellonians not only ruled over Poland-Lithuania but also over Hungary and Bohemia and their realm stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The Jagiellonian era is often regarded as Poland's golden age. The country was rich because of its vast stretches of fertile agricultural lands, culture was flourishing and the armed forces, mainly consisting of cavalry (hussars), were successful in several conflicts.

Casimir's third son John I Albert succeeded him as king of Poland, his fourth son Alexander I succeeded him as Grand Duke of Lithuania. When John Albert suddenly died in 1501 the personal union between Poland and Lithuania was restored.

Poland-Lithuania remained a leading power in Europe until the second half of the 17th Century. From then on the country went into a gradual decline. This ended with the partitions of Poland in which the country was carved up (in three stages between 1772 and 1795) and divided among its neighbors Prussia, Russia and Austria.

Answer: Elizabeth Woodville

Elizabeth Woodville was first married to Sir John Grey of Groby, a minor supporter of the House of Lancaster, who died in the second battle of St Albans (1461). Her second marriage to Yorkist King Edward IV was badly received because of her first marriage to this Lancaster supporter, because she was of low birth, but mostly because the marriage happened in secret. At the time Richard Neville, earl of Warwick ("The Kingmaker"), was negotiating a marriage between Edward and a member of the French royal family. Edward's secret marriage left Warwick humiliated. This caused a rift between him and Edward which led to Warwick switching sides to support the Lancastrians.

With Warwick's aid Henry VI was reinstalled as King of England (1470-1471). The Lancastrian reinsurgence was shortlived as Warwick was eventually crushed in the battle of Barnet (1471) where he was killed. Later that year Lancastrian forces were again defeated in the Battle of Tewkesbury. After Henry VI died in the tower of London Edward's crown was more or less secure.

Elizabeth's fortunes again turned when Edward IV unexpectedly died in 1483. Her eldest son by Edward, only 12 years old, became Edward V. His uncle, Richard of Gloucester, was named Lord Protector until Edward came of age. Edward and his younger brother Richard of Shrewsbury were confined to the Tower of London, officially for their safety. The marriage between Edward IV and Elizabeth was declared invalid, their children declared illegitimate, and eventually Richard of Gloucester was crowned King Richard III. The princes in the tower were never seen again and their fate remains a point of contention until today. Elizabeth then allied herself with Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor, last Lancastrian claimant to the throne. He would defeat Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 what finally ended the Wars of the Roses. Elizabeths eldest daughter, Elizabeth of York, married Henry VII thereby uniting both houses.

Shortly after Henry Tudor took the crown Elizabeth again fell from grace. She retired to Bermondsey Abbey where she lived until her death in 1492.

Answer: False

The date is correct. The expedition did start from Palos de la Frontera, a harbor town in Andalusia. However, the idea that Columbus' crew consisted of criminals who were given the choice between the death penalty and serving on an expedition many thought was doomed is an urban legend.

The story originates from the fact that the queen had given convicts a chance to be granted pardon if they participated in risky enterprises and survived. In the case of Columbus' voyage this privilege was only bestowed on four men on a crew of over 60. Columbus' crew consisted mainly of fishermen and experienced sailors from Palos without any criminal history.

Answer: Borgia

Just a few days after Columbus had left on his epic voyage the College of Cardinals elected Rodrigo Borgia as pope under the name Alexander VI in an election marked by corruption and bribery. He would become one of the most most controversial popes in history.

The Borgia family originated from Aragon, Spain. Rodrigo Borgia was a nephew of the first pope from the Borgia family, Calixtus III (1455 - 1458) who had him appointed as cardinal. During the era of the Renaissance popes the papacy reached its height of political power. The office had become more secular than religious, serving as a vehicle to further enhance the wealth and power of the most powerful families of the era.

The Borgia papacy is associated with nepotism, adultery, simony (selling of ecclesiastical offices), bribery and murder. Alexander VI had four children with his longtime mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei which he recognized, but there were probably more. Some of them like Cesare and Lucrezia gained some notoriety of their own. However, Alexander VI was also a keen patron of the arts and had a mild attitude towards Jewish refugees from Spain. This gave his enemies ammunition to spread rumors that the Borgia family were converted Jews themselves.

Probably the most important diplomatic legacy of Alexander's papacy was the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) which divided the newly discovered territories in the west between Spain and Portugal. In the treaty the line of demarcation, as decreed in Alexander's papal bull of 1493, was moved 270 leagues to the west. As a result present day Brazil became a Portuguese colony.

The houses of de Medici and della Rovere were other powerful families who used their wealth and influence during the Renaissance era to secure the papacy for a family member. The Sforza family ruled Milan during the Renaissance era.

Answer: The Bahamas

Even today historians can't agree on which island was first discovered by Columbus. His maps and journals have long since disappeared. Contemporary research indicates two islands as potential candidates for San Salvador: Watling Island and Samana Kay. Since today both islands are part of The Bahamas it is safe to say Columbus first landed in The Bahamas.

Answer: Perkin Warbeck

Warbeck first publicly made his claim to the English crown at the court of Margaret of Burgundy, a sister of Yorkist kings Edward IV and Richard III, and therefor keen to recognize Warbeck's claim. He claimed to be Richard of Shrewesbury, Duke of York, the youngest of the two princes in the tower. According to Warbeck only Edward V was killed and he was allowed to escape to Europe. Warbeck's claim was accepted by a number of European royals, such as the king of France, what made him a real threat for Henry VII. Henry invaded France and in the subsequent peace treaty, the Peace of Etaples, King Charles VIII of France promised not to support any more claimants to the English throne. As a result French support for Warbeck's claim ended.

That didn't end Warbeck's ambitions though. After a failed landing in Kent and a failed invasion from Scotland he joined the second Cornish rebellion. However, the rebellion also failed and Warbeck was captured. In prison he confessed to being an imposter. According to the confession his real father was Jehan de Werbecque, a comptroller in the (then) Flemish city Tournai. He was employed by a Breton merchant who took him to Cork, Ireland on a trade mission, where he was recognized as a Richard of Shrewsbury by Yorkist supporters. From there he then went to the court of Margaret of Burgundy. Because these confessions were made under duress, possibly under torture, they are considered to be, at least partially, unreliable. After a two year period in custody Warbeck was executed by hanging (1499).

Simnel was another pretender claiming to be Richard of York but his claim was so unbelievable that his life was spared and he was allowed to work in the royal kitchens. Naundorff and Williams were two pretenders claiming to be Dauphin Louis Joseph, the eldest son of Louis XVI of France and Marie-Antoinette, who were guillotined in the aftermath of the French Revolution.

Answer: Santa Maria

On Christmas 1492 the Santa Maria was stranded on a cliff near present day Cap-Haïtien and sinked. The Pinta and the Nina were the two other ships of Columbus' first voyage. The Vizcaina was a ship that sunk on Columbus fourth and final voyage to the new world (1502-1504).