Learn on PengiPengi Social Studies (Grade 7)Chapter 7: Medieval Europe

Lesson 6: The Reconquista

In this Grade 7 Pengi Social Studies lesson from Chapter 7: Medieval Europe, students trace the Reconquista and the unification of Spain in 1492, including the expulsion of Jews and Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula. Students also examine the contributions of Jewish scholars such as Maimonides, who played a key role in translating and preserving classical knowledge during the medieval period.

Section 1

The Reconquista: The Struggle for Spain

For centuries, the Iberian Peninsula was divided between Muslim states (Al-Andalus) in the south and Christian kingdoms in the north. The 700-year struggle by Christian kings to drive the Muslims out is called the Reconquista.

Slowly, Christian forces pushed south. By the late 1400s, the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile unified the two most powerful Christian kingdoms. In 1492, their combined armies conquered Granada, the last Muslim stronghold, bringing the entire peninsula under Christian rule.

Section 2

The Inquisition and Religious Unity

Ferdinand and Isabella wanted to unify Spain not just politically, but religiously. They viewed religious diversity as a threat. To enforce this, they established the Spanish Inquisition, a church court that investigated heresy.

The Inquisition used brutal methods to interrogate "Conversos" (Jews/Muslims who converted to Christianity) suspected of secretly practicing their old faith. In 1492, the monarchs issued an edict expelling all Jews who refused to convert. Later, Muslims were also expelled. This created a purely Catholic Spain but drained the country of its skilled middle class.

Lesson overview

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Section 1

The Reconquista: The Struggle for Spain

For centuries, the Iberian Peninsula was divided between Muslim states (Al-Andalus) in the south and Christian kingdoms in the north. The 700-year struggle by Christian kings to drive the Muslims out is called the Reconquista.

Slowly, Christian forces pushed south. By the late 1400s, the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile unified the two most powerful Christian kingdoms. In 1492, their combined armies conquered Granada, the last Muslim stronghold, bringing the entire peninsula under Christian rule.

Section 2

The Inquisition and Religious Unity

Ferdinand and Isabella wanted to unify Spain not just politically, but religiously. They viewed religious diversity as a threat. To enforce this, they established the Spanish Inquisition, a church court that investigated heresy.

The Inquisition used brutal methods to interrogate "Conversos" (Jews/Muslims who converted to Christianity) suspected of secretly practicing their old faith. In 1492, the monarchs issued an edict expelling all Jews who refused to convert. Later, Muslims were also expelled. This created a purely Catholic Spain but drained the country of its skilled middle class.