The Spanish Inquisition was launched during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella to try and ensure the continued supremacy of Catholicism in Spain. It quickly evolved (or devolved) into an institution of torture and intimidation that forced the Jewish and Muslim populations of Spain to convert, flee, or die.

In the years leading up to the Edict of Expulsion, the Jewish population had faced widespread persecution and forced conversion in Spain. This all came to a head in 1492 when the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella issued the Edict of Expulsion, which declared that all Jewish people must leave the Kingdom within a few months or face severe consequences (including death without trial).

Ignatius Loyola is most famous for founding the Jesuits. The Jesuits were recognized as a religious institution by the Pope in 1540, and they played a massive role in the Catholic Counter-Reformation. The Jesuits were primarily devoted to education, but they were also involved in the persecution of Protestant populations.