Okay, I'll admit that I didn't pay very good attention in Mr. Metzger's Western Civ. class in 10th grade (or Mr. Chu's American History in 9th), but there are things I'm learning as I do history with my kids that I'm sure I was never taught.
Like... how did I not catch that the same Isabella and Ferdinand who sponsored Christopher Columbus on his search for a passage around the world were the same Isabella and Ferdinand who sponsored the Spanish Inquisition at its height? That the same year they sent Chris off in the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, they also kicked all the Jews out of Spain?
We're reading these stories from several perspectives now and it's interesting to see how some books remember Isabella as a power hungry maniac who took advice from men of the cloth who were even more wicked than she was. Other books talk about how devout she was and how her only goal in life was to turn Spain back into a country with a pure faith.
Hello? I'm not sure burning people at the stake, having neighbor turn against neighbor, or accepting the witness of the accusers, but not the accused, is the best way to get people to be honest about what they believe.
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