Directions: You will engage in a discussion with your peers about a letter written by Christopher Columbus to the treasurer of the King of Spain.
You will answer the following questions:
How does Columbus’s description of the Caribbean islands reflect Spain’s motivations for sending him there?
Suppose Columbus simply had complete freedom to explore the world without specific goals in mind. How would that have affected his observations?
How might it have affected world history?
A LETTER TO THE TREASURER OF SPAIN
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Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (1447–1506) was convinced he could discover the shortest, and thus the most profitable, trade route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to finance his voyage to find out if he was right. Columbus wrote this letter to the king’s treasurer, reporting his discoveries of several Caribbean islands.
February 14, 1493
Because my undertakings have attained success, I know that it will be pleasing to you: these I have determined to relate, so that you may be made acquainted with everything done and discovered in this our voyage. On the thirty-third day after I departed from Cadiz, I came to the Indian sea, where I found many islands inhabited by men without number, of all which I took possession for our most fortunate king, with proclaiming heralds and flying standards, no one objecting.
To the first of these I gave the name of the blessed Saviour, on whose aid relying I had reached this as well as the other islands. But the Indians called it Guanahany. I also called each one of the others by a new name. For I ordered one island to be called Santa Maria of the Conception, another Fernandina, another Isabella, another Juana, and so on with the rest.…
This island [Juana] is surrounded by many very safe and wide harbors, not excelled by any others that I have ever seen. Many great and salubrious rivers flow through it. There are also many very high mountains there. All these islands are very beautiful, and distinguished by various qualities; they are accessible, and full of a great variety of trees stretching up to the stars; the leaves of which I believe are never shed, for I saw them as green and flourishing as they are usually in Spain in the month of May; some of them were blossoming, some were bearing fruit, some were in other conditions; each one was thriving in its own way. The nightingale and various other birds without number were singing, in the month of November, when I was exploring them. There are besides in the said island Juana seven or eight kinds of palm trees, which far excel ours in height and beauty, just as all the other trees, herbs, and fruits do. There are also excellent pine trees, vast plains and meadows, a variety of birds, a variety of honey, and a variety of metals, excepting iron. In the one which was called Hispana,…there are great and beautiful mountains, vast fields, groves, fertile plains, very suitable for planting and cultivating, and for the building of houses.
The convenience of the harbors in this island, and the remarkable number of rivers contributing to the healthfulness of man, exceed belief, unless one has seen them. The trees, pasturage, and fruits of this island differ greatly from those of Juana. This Hispana, moreover, abounds in different kinds of spices, in gold, and in metals.…
All these people lack, as I said above, every kind of iron; they are also without weapons, which indeed are unknown.…
They are of simple manners and trustworthy, and very liberal with everything they have, refusing no one who asks for anything they may possess, and even themselves inviting us to ask for things. They show greater love for all others than for themselves; they give valuable things for trifles, being satisfied even with a very small return, or with nothing; however, I forbade that things so small and of no value should be given to them, such as pieces of plate, dishes and glass, likewise keys and shoestraps; although if they were able to obtain these, it seemed to them like getting the most beautiful jewels in the world.…
In all these islands there is no difference in the appearance of the people, nor in the manners and language, but all understand each other mutually; a fact that is very important for the end which I suppose to be earnestly desired by our most illustrious king, that is, their conversion to the holy religion of Christ, to which in truth, as far as I can perceive, they are very ready and favorably inclined….
In all these islands, as I have understood, each man is content with only one wife, except the princes or kings, who are permitted to have twenty. The women appear to work more than the men. I was not able to find out surely whether they have individual property, for I saw that one man had the duty of distributing to the others, especially refreshments, food, and things of that kind.…
Truly great and wonderful is this, and not corresponding to our merits, but to the holy Christian religion, and to the piety and religion of our sovereigns, because what the human understanding could not attain, that the divine will has granted to human efforts. For God is wont to listen to his servants who love his precepts, even in impossibilities, as has happened to us on the present occasion, who have attained that which hitherto mortal men have never reached.…
These things that have been done are thus briefly related. Farewell, Lisbon, the day before the ides of March.
—Christopher Columbus, admiral of the Ocean fleet
Columbus’s description of the Caribbean islands reflects Spain’s motivations for sending him there in several ways. Firstly, he emphasizes the abundant resources and wealth that can be found on the islands, such as spices, gold, and other metals. This aligns with Spain’s desire to find new trade routes to Asia and acquire valuable goods. Columbus also mentions the convenient harbors and safe rivers on the islands, highlighting their potential as strategic locations for Spanish navigation and colonization. Additionally, he notes the simple and trusting nature of the indigenous people and suggests that they are ready and favorably inclined towards conversion to Christianity. This reflects Spain’s goals of spreading the Catholic faith and establishing a presence in the New World.
If Columbus had complete freedom to explore the world without specific goals, his observations may have been more varied and unpredictable. Without a specific objective, he may have been more open to encountering different cultures and societies, possibly leading to a more diverse and inclusive understanding of the world. He might have paid more attention to the customs, traditions, and languages of the indigenous peoples he encountered, rather than primarily focusing on resources and potential conversions. His observations may have been more nuanced and insightful, providing a deeper understanding of global diversity.
If Columbus had complete freedom to explore the world without specific goals, it may have affected world history in several ways. Firstly, it could have led to greater exploration and discovery of different continents and civilizations. Columbus’s voyages set in motion a series of events that eventually led to European colonization and domination of the Americas. Without specific goals, Columbus’s explorations may have been less focused on conquest and more on cultural exchange and mutual understanding. This could have potentially shaped a different dynamic between Europe and the Americas, allowing for a more equal exchange of knowledge and ideas. Additionally, without the focus on resource acquisition and conversion to Christianity, the motivations behind colonization may have been different, potentially leading to a different historical narrative of colonization and its impact on indigenous peoples.