1490. Ferdinand and Isabella conquer Granada.
See “CONQUEST OF GRANADA,” viii, 202.
Death of Matthias Corvinus; Ladislaus II, King of
Bohemia, is elected king of the Hungarians.
1491. Charles VIII of France sends back to her
father his affianced bride, Margaret; compels Anne
of Brittany to break her engagement to Maximilian
and marries her himself, thus uniting Brittany and
France.
1492. Imposture of Perkin Warbeck in England.
See “CONSPIRACY, REBELLION, AND EXECUTION OF
PERKIN WARBECK,” viii, 250. Expulsion of
Jews from the Spanish dominions; this great exodus,
hundreds of thousands in all, of a commercial hard-working
race caused enormous injury to the land so depopulated.
Columbus discovers the Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti.
See “COLUMBUS DISCOVERS AMERICA,” viii,
224.
1493. Death of Emperor Frederick IV; his son,
Maximilian succeeds, the first to take the title Emperor
of Germany without being crowned at Rome.
Leaving a garrison in Espanola, Columbus returns to
Spain. He starts on his second voyage; discovers
Porto Rico.
A papal bull grants to Spain the new world discovered
by Columbus, and defines the rights of Spain and Portugal.
1494. A treaty, that of Tordesillas, partitions
the ocean between Spain and Portugal.
Formation of the Christian Commonwealth at Florence.
See “SAVONAROLA’S REFORMS AND DEATH,”
viii, 265.
Sir Edward Poynings, Governor of Ireland, induces
the parliament of that country to pass the act bearing
his name, which gives full power to all the laws of
England.
1495. Conquest of Naples by Charles VIII of France;
he retreats to France. Ferdinand II is restored
to the throne of Naples.
Maximilian establishes the Imperial Chamber.
Extinction of the right of private warfare in Germany.
1496. Encouraged by the success of Columbus,
Henry VII of England sends out John Cabot and his
son, Sebastian, on a voyage of discovery.
Emanuel of Portugal fits out an expedition under Vasco
da Gama to explore the eastern seas.
1497. “DISCOVERY OF THE MAINLAND OF NORTH
AMERICA BY THE CABOTS.” See viii, 282.
Sten Sture offends the Swedish nobility, is defeated
and stripped of his protectorate by John II, who enforces
the Union of Kalmar; he is crowned at Stockholm.
Pinzon and Vespucci discover Central America.
1498. Vasco da Gama rounds the Cape of Good Hope
and reaches India. See “THE SEA ROUTE TO
INDIA,” viii, 299.
Columbus makes his third voyage across the Western
Ocean; he discovers South America; is arrested and
returned to Spain in irons. See “COLUMBUS
DISCOVERS SOUTH AMERICA,” viii, 323.
Arrest and execution of Savonarola at Florence.
See “SAVONAROLA’S REFORMS AND DEATH,”
viii, 265.
1499. Conquest of the duchy of Milan by the French.
Unsuccessful war of Maximilian against the Swiss.
See “ESTABLISHMENT OF Swiss INDEPENDENCE,”
viii, 336.
