You probably already know this but the overwhelming majority of the Jews that lived in Spain before their expulsion in 1492 were Sephardic Jews. They were given four months to sell their possesions and leave the country. Tens of thousands left, some went to Portugal until they were exiled from that country as well. Thousands of them remained in Spain after they converted to Catholicism and became known as "conversos". They subsequently became victims of the Spanish Inquisition when tens of thousands of them were tried, sentenced and either imprisoned or burnt at the stake. They were often called "marranos" (pigs). The guidelines established by Tomas de Torquemada also included Muslims, and was eventually expanded to include Protestants in an effort to "purify" and unite the people of Spain.