November 23 - Perkin Warbeck is Executed

This Day in History: 23 November 2020

 

23 November 1499

 

521 years ago, today, Perkin Warbeck, who invaded England in 1497 claiming to be the lost son of King Edward IV, was hanged for allegedly trying to escape from the Tower of London. In 1491, Warbeck went to Ireland and claimed that he was Richard, Duke of York, the second son of Edward IV. In 1483, however, Richard and his elder brother were presumed murdered in the Tower of London by their uncle, King Richard III. Despite this, their fates are still not confirmed, as it is unknown what happened to them.

 

Warbeck found support from the enemies of King Henry VII, the first Tudor king of England, who had established his new dynasty in 1485, when he won the Battle of Bosworth against King Richard III. These supporters included James IV of Scotland, who offered Warbeck Lady Catherine Gordon in marriage. However, the Treaty of Ayton ended this support as James made peace with England. In 1497, Warbeck landed at Cornwall and raised an army of 6,000 men. Faced with King Henry's larger army, he fled, but was captured and imprisoned. He was treated well by Henry initially, and soon confessed to being an imposter. However, after trying to escape, he was hanged.

 

Want to find out more about Perkin Warbeck? Click here for more information, or here for more about the Battle of Bosworth.

October 18 - Marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon

This Day in History: 18 October 2020

 

18 October 1469

 

551 years ago, today, Ferdinand of Aragon married Isabella of Castile, thus beginning a co-operative reign that would unite all the dominions of Spain, elevating the nation to a dominant world power. Together, they incorporated many Spanish dominions into their kingdom and, in 1478, introduced the Spanish Inquisition, the powerful and brutal homogenisation of the Spanish society. In 1492, the reconquest of Granada from the Moors was completed, and the crown ordered all Spanish Jews to convert to Christianity, with the Spanish Muslims being handed a similar order four years later.

 

Before the two were married, Isabella had heard that Ferdinand was handsome, and he had been informed of her beauty. However, Isabella's half-brother, King Enrique IV of Castile, forbade the two from meeting. They instead met in secret, with Ferdinand disguised as a merchant, and their small talk, that lasted for two hours, led to their wedding. Afterwards, the King of Portugal, who had a claim to the Spanish throne, declared war against Isabella, but Ferdinand helped Isabella defeat her opponents by demoralising them, while Isabella rode out to negotiate with rebels in a local revolt. Their marriage and subsequent events secured their place in history and religion as 'the Catholic monarchs'.

 

Want to find out more about the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella? Click here for more information, or here for a video with more about the Spanish Reconquista.

October 12 - Christopher Columbus Discovers the New World

This Day in History: 12 October 2020

 

12 October 1492

 

528 years ago, today, Christopher Columbus reached the 'New World' after sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, claiming the land for Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain. After setting sail from Palos, Spain, in August, the expedition reached land. Cuba was spotted afterwards, which he thought was mainland China, and in December, they landed on Hispaniola, which was mistaken for Japan. He established a small colony there with 39 men. When he returned to Spain, Columbus brought with him gold, spices and 'Indian' captives. This was received with the highest honours by the Spanish court.

 

During his lifetime, Columbus in total led four expeditions to the 'New World', exploring many Caribbean islands, the Gulf of Mexico, and the South and Central American main lands. He was also the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings in the 10^th century, when they had set up colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland. However, he never achieved his original goal, a western oceanic route to the cities of Asia. In 1506, Columbus died without realising what he did accomplish. He had opened Europe to the New World, whose riches would help make Spain the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth.

 

Want to find out more about Columbus' discovery of the New World? Click here for more information, or here for more on the legend's truth.