It is August seventh, and on this date in 1782 America’s first official military decoration of the United States was created by a general order issued by the Commander in chief of the continental army. But the creation of the award was almost lost to time, very nearly, forgotten history.
The Reconquista, or Christian reconquest of Iberia, took nearly 800 years. The fighting did not come without great attempts by Muslim powers across the strait trying to reestablish their presence in mainland Europe. The last gasp of that effort came in the 1330s, when the powerful Marinid sultanate of what is modern Morocco invaded in an attempt to reverse Christian gains and secure the perilous position of the Sultanate of Granada.