Isabella of Castile has been said to have left the biggest impact on Europe as a woman. She became a queen during a time period where it was rare for a woman leader to be successful. She lived from 1451 until 1504 in Spain. When she first proclaimed herself as queen, the people of Segovia were appalled. Most women at the time, would turn their power to their husbands, but not Isabella. Although she was doubted at first, she became one of the most respected leaders very shortly after she gained the throne. She achieved more than any woman ever had in the past and continued to succeed throughout her life. At the time, women were not permitted to choose who they wanted to marry. Instead, they would be auctioned off by their fathers, brothers, or uncles in exchange for something worthy. Isabella broke this standard by choosing her husband, Ferdinand of Aragon. Not only did she choose her husband herself, but she forced him to sign something similar to a prenuptial agreement. At the time, this was humiliating for Ferdinand. Isabella wanted to ensure that her power was not given to him and instead, they could rule together. They joined Castile and Aragon together and created a larger power together. They are considered to be one of the first "power couples"! 
Although Isabella was not active in battles, she strategized thought-out plans and was overall the 'brains' behind these operations. Without her tactics, success would not have been as easy. It is also stated that, "She built up a contingent of artillery so powerful that it turned the art of medieval warfare on its head". She was a marvelous monarch and one of the first examples of a 'warrior woman' in history.
Works Cited
Evans, Elinor. “Isabella of Castile: Europe's Greatest Queen?” HistoryExtra, 28 June 2019, www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/isabella-of-castile-europes-greatest-queen/.
Toler, Pamela D. “Isabella of Spain-Warrior Queen.” Wonders and Marvels, www.wondersandmarvels.com/2017/03/isabella-spain-warrior-queen.html.
I think it' awesome that she picked her husband in an era like this and also made certain her power was never handed over to him. I also think she fulfills the intelligent aspect that sometimes we as a society forget about women, by the way she composed throughout-out plans.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Isabella of Spain as far as I can remember. I really like how she made her own direction and this blog supports her choices and explains just what she did. I like knowing that women have been fighting for longer than we originally thought.
ReplyDeleteSophia,
ReplyDeleteI loved learning about Isabella of Spain, as I had never heard of her before. She must have had to build up a lot of courage in order to stand her ground with certain issues, such as becoming the first female leader and choosing who her husband would be. I loved how you mentioned that while she did not fight the battles herself, that she was the "brains" behind the missions; without her strategic planning, Spain would not have been as successful, if at all. I really enjoyed reading about a woman who was working towards female rights that long ago.
-Kayleigh