Isabell and Ferdinand did indeed finance Columbus' trip. What is even more interesting then the who, though, is the why.
Coming right after the Spanish monarchs had successfully rid the peninsula of Muslim rule (known as the Spanish Reconquista, and the effective end of the Crusades), Columbus' request was intriguing due to it's potential for profit. Were he to succeed in finding an alternative trade route to the Indies (Asia), the nation which financed Columbus' venture stood to gain immense profits in trade with her European neighbours.
Also, Isabella and Ferdinand had little to lose should Columbus fail and come back empty-handed (if at all). Unlike other voyages undertaken by Columbus' contemporaries which were lavishly equipped with the best crews and the most up-to-date ships; Columbus was given three aging ships (the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria) - all Caravels - of which one was rigged for sail in the Mediterranean Sea and had to be re-fit at the Canary Islands. Thus Columbus' voyage was a win-win situation for the Spanish crown.
Coming right after the Spanish monarchs had successfully rid the peninsula of Muslim rule (known as the Spanish Reconquista, and the effective end of the Crusades), Columbus' request was intriguing due to it's potential for profit. Were he to succeed in finding an alternative trade route to the Indies (Asia), the nation which financed Columbus' venture stood to gain immense profits in trade with her European neighbours.
Also, Isabella and Ferdinand had little to lose should Columbus fail and come back empty-handed (if at all). Unlike other voyages undertaken by Columbus' contemporaries which were lavishly equipped with the best crews and the most up-to-date ships; Columbus was given three aging ships (the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria) - all Caravels - of which one was rigged for sail in the Mediterranean Sea and had to be re-fit at the Canary Islands. Thus Columbus' voyage was a win-win situation for the Spanish crown.
