Praxis II Citizenship

Answer: C - The marriage between Ferdinand II and Isabella I united his Aragon and her Castile, the two largest kingdoms in Spain. It would take years before there was full cultural and political unity, but their marriage is considered the beginning of Spanish unification. During their union Ferdinand retained the title “King of Aragon” while Isabella remained the “Queen of Castile.” In March 1492 the joint monarchs issued the Alhambra Decree, expelling all non-Catholics (mostly Jews) from Spain unless they converted to Catholicism. That October, Christopher Columbus set sail on behalf of Spain, in hopes of finding a shorter route to the West Indies, though he landed in the New World instead. In 1496, Pope Alexander VI named the couple the “Catholic Monarchs” due to their promotion and protection of Catholicism. That year, their daughter Joanna married the son of the Holy Roman Emperor, securing an extremely valuable alliance for Aragon, Castile, and unified Spain.