The Spanish Reconquista
The Spanish “reconquista” or reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula away from the Moors and the Jews in 1492 was a prerequisite of sorts to the colonization of Latin America , allowing for the installation of a “crusader mentality” into the Spanish people as well as the establishment and practice of the later coined encomienda system. Before the Spanish reconquest, Iberia served as a bridge between Europe and Africa, allowing for the interactions between the Islamic and Christian worlds. The Moors, being part of the Islamic world, had preserved ancient Greek and Roman knowledge on mathematics, philosophy, and medicine. Early interactions between the Moors and Iberian Christians reveal that Arabic words, processes, furnishings, and sciences were