One of the most pervasive stories about Columbus' first voyage to the Americas is that Queen Isabela had to sell her jewels in order to finance the trip.
That little tidbit of history turns out to just be fantasy. Here's what actually happened: Columbus had tried to get 3 different kingdoms to finance his trip. The UK and Portugal had said no already.
He asked in Spain and was initially rejected. However, the crown decided to give him an annual allowance to keep him from taking his ideas elsewhere. He was also giving a letter asking all cities and towns under their domain to provide him food and lodging at no cost.
He stuck around the Spanish court for a couple of years. Then, in 1492, he struck luck. The Spanish kings had just conquered Granada, the last Muslim stronghold on the Iberian peninsula.
The Kings received Columbus in Córdoba, in the Alcázar castle and they said yes. However, the Queen did not have to sell the jewels as is often told.
The Spanish treasury moved money around and also asked a town a debt pardon in exchange for providing 2 of Columbus' ships. Columbus also had a number of Italian investors lined up to finance the trip.
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