Signing of the Alhambra Decree

Date: March 31, 1492 • Location: Madrid, Spain

Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile sign the Alhambra Decree, ordering all Jews to convert to Christianity or be expelled from the country.

Ferdinand II, also known as Ferdinand the Catholic, was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of Castile, he was also King of Castile from 1475 to 1504. He reigned jointly with Isabella over a dynastically unified Spain; together, they are known as the Catholic Monarchs. Ferdinand is considered the de facto first king of Spain, and was described as such during his reign, even though, legally, Castile and Aragon remained two separate kingdoms until they were formally united by the Nueva Planta decrees issued between 1707 and 1716.