If You Were There in 1492: Everyday Life in the Time of Columbus Book

Chock-full of little-known facts and written with you-are-there immediacy, this volume explores everyday life in Spain at the end of the 15th century.

Children's Literature

How did people live in 1492? Ms. Brenner gives readers a taste of that life. It is nothing like Hollywood's swashbuckling romances. Life was brutish even for the wealthy. No Taco Bells. No Big Macs. No Baskin Robbins. Food was heavily salted or spiced to preserve it. Fruits and vegetables were rare. Garbage was dumped into the streets and disease was rampant as there were no antibiotics. Spain was bogged down in the Inquisition managed by the infamous Torquemada. The Moors and the Jews were killed or expelled due to their religious beliefs. Yet, it was a time of exploration and new ideas.