What effect did the Reconquista have on Christians?

The Spanish word Reconquista means reconquest. This historical period refers to the Christianization of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain and Portugal. On 19 July 711 A.D., the Muslim Moors invaded Gibraltar, and they continued their rule until the fall of the Nasrid Caliphate of Granada on 2 January 1492. While there is a long, rich history during these centuries, the pinnacle year of the Reconquest was 1492. The following discussion will consider three very important events in 1492 that forever shaped the future of Christendom.
As mentioned before, the defeat of the Muslim Moors in Granada was an extremely important victory for Christianity. Most significantly, Queen Isabella’s 1492 Alhambra Decree (or Edicto de Granada) enforced compulsory conversion or expulsion from the Kingdom of Castile. Part of the Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula meant removing Muslims. As one might conclude, this both added new Christians and eliminated an entire demographic of religious and political opponents.
The Moors were not the only ones affected by the Christianization of Spain. In fact, the 1492 expulsión de los judíos (Expulsion of the Jews) forced all Jews to convert to Christianity or leave the country. Again, the Monarchy’s attempt to Christianize Spain led to new converts and the expulsion of the opposition. Whether or not these new conversos were sincere converts is a point of contention. Nonetheless, the Edict of Expulsion further fortified the Church’s political and religious authority.
Lastly, one of the greatest events tied to the Reconquista is Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage to the New World. Undeniably, what resulted was the Christianization and colonialization of the Americas. Today, Mexico, Central, and South America abound with the presence of Spanish Catholicism. Consequently, the plundered gold from the Americas funded Christian Spain’s rapid colonization of the New World. This abundant wealth made Spain very powerful and influential.
The Reconquista directly impacted Christianity. The three events to remember are (1) the defeat and eventual expulsion of Muslim Moors in Granada/Spain, (2) the expulsion of Spain’s Jewry, and (3) Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the New World. As the Jewish proverb states, “a three-fold cord is not easily broken.” In this case, Spain’s 3–0 victory in 1492 empowered them to dominate, imperialize, and Christianize the world.