A History of the Inquisition of Spain (Vol. 1-4)

'A History of the Inquisition of Spain' in 4 volumes is one of the best-known works by the American historian Henry Charles Lea. The Spanish Inquisition (officially known as the 'Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition') was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms and to replace the Medieval Inquisition, which was under Papal control. It became the most substantive of the three different manifestations of the wider Catholic Inquisition along with the Roman Inquisition and Portuguese Inquisition. The Inquisition was originally intended primarily to identify heretics among those who converted from Judaism and Islam to Catholicism. The regulation of the faith of newly converted Catholics was intensified after the royal decrees issued in 1492 and 1502 ordering Muslims and Jews to convert to Catholicism or leave Castile. The Inquisition was not definitively abolished until 1834, during the reign of Isabella II, after a period of declining influence in the preceding century. The Spanish Inquisition is often cited in popular literature and history as an example of religious intolerance and repression. This carefully crafted e-artnow ebook is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents.

Henry Charles Lea (1825-1909) was an American historian, civic reformer, and political activist. He focused mainly on church history in the later Middle Ages, and on institutional, legal, and ecclesiastical history, as well as magic and witchcraft. Lea also did significant work on the history of the Italian city-states. His active writing career on historical subjects spanned more than fifty years, during which Lea published ten books and numerous articles. His literary reputation rests largely on those books. Highly disciplined work habits (and the ability to purchase manuscripts in Europe and Latin America and have them shipped to Philadelphia) led Lea to continue writing despite even headaches and eye problems. He became an authority on the Spanish Inquisition, and his multi-volume work was considered groundbreaking.