CHRISOTPHER COLUMBUS

First Voyage

In celebration of the discovery of the Americas for the Europeans, here are a few short synopses of Columbus’ trips. I say the discovery for the Europeans simply because there were people here for a very long time prior to their arrival. Christopher Columbus made four trips to the Americas. The first took place in 1492. He left Spain with three ships in August of that year. He sailed to the Canary Islands; did necessary repairs, loaded his ships with fresh water, fruits and vegetables and sailed off into the unknown on September 6th. He arrived sometime around the 12thof October, landing at what they named Hispaniola, which is modern day Dominican Republic and Haiti. Here they built a fort―Fuerte de la Navidad and when he returned to Spain, some crew members remained at the fort awaiting his return.

Second Voyage

Columbus set out on his second trip from Cadiz, Spain on September 25, 1493 with seventeen ships, 1,200 men and boys including sailors, soldiers, colonists, priests, government officials, gentlemen of the court and horses. The purpose of the trip was to establish colonies in the name of Spain, and to reunite with the crew members who had stayed at the fort.

Columbus also sought great riches in what he believed to be part of the Far East. On November 3rd the crew sighted another island which today is Dominica. Later, the discoverer of Florida, Juan Ponce de Leon, one of the passengers on this trip, became governor of the island. On November 27ththey reached Hispaniola. None of the crew members that remained survived. He ordered his men to destroy the fort and conquer the natives. He established the first colony in the new world, Santo Domingo and became the governor.

Third Voyage

Christopher returned to Cadiz on July 31st, 1496, and set sail again two years later on May 30th, 1498 for the New World. Six ships left Cadiz, making the usual stop at the Canary Islands, on this embarkation three ships sailed for Hispaniola and three, under the lead of Columbus, took a southerly route and thereby discovered the islands we know as Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, and Margarita. He thought he spotted another island but in fact saw the shore of South America. He returned to Hispaniola, arriving on the 31st of August, and found the colonists in rebellion and in dire need of food stuffs. Information of the conditions reached Spain and upon receiving the news the monarchs sent representatives to investigate. The representatives arrested Columbus and sent him back to Spain in chains. In October of 1500 Columbus, appeared before the royal couple, Ferdinand and Isabella, and vindicated himself.

Fourth Voyage

On May 9th, 1502 Columbus set sail with four ships and 150 crewmen, one being his thirteen year-old son Diego. They arrived in Hispaniola on June 29th and the colonist forbade him to disembark for fear he might stir up trouble in the colony. Five days later he departed to look for a way to the East, what he discovered instead, was present day Central America.

On January 6th, 1503 he anchored off the coast of Panama and sent a party ashore; they discovered gold in the area and built a trading post. The natives were not friendly and forced them to leave. Three ships left. The fourth was in such a dire condition that they had to abandon it.

The two other ships were in such a poor condition, that by June 25, 1503 the ships were no longer sailable and they hobbled to the shore of the island of Jamaica.

After landing, he procured canoes from the local Indians and sent sailors to Hispaniola, 160 miles away, for help. They safely made the trip, but out of spite, the royal governor delayed sending any assistance for a year. After his rescue, Columbus, disappointed at his failure to find a new route to the East, returned to Spain on November 7th, 1504. He settled with his family in Seville and awaited a royal summons from the king and queen which never came.

 

THE FAMILY OF CHRISTOPHER COLMBUS

Christopher Columbus had two sons, Diego and Fernando; Diego (1480-1526) was born in Portugal. His mother, Felipa Perestrelas Moriz, died when he was four years old. Fernando (1488–1539) was born in Spain. His mother was Doña Beatriz Enriquez de Arana, a lady of a noble family of Spain, whom Columbus loved deeply but never married. They remained together into their later years.

Diego was a favorite of his father, and accompanied Christopher on his last voyage to the Americas in 1502 along with Fernando, who was fourteen at the time. In 1498 Queen Isabella appointed Diego as one of her pages.

Columbus in his will (1505) left Diego an ample income, and which royal grants augmented. Historians conjecture that other family members were included since Christopher was to receive ten percent of the gold discovered from the diggings in Hispaniola. Columbus continued to add codicils to his will up until his death on May 20, 1506 at the age of 54.

Later, when Diego obtained confirmation of the privileges originally conceded to his father; Viceroy of the newly discovered lands, he sailed to Santo Domingo in 1509 as Admiral of the Indies and Governor of Hispaniola. Diego arrived to open opposition to his appointment. He replaced Juan Ponce de Leon, much to Juan’s displeasure. Afterward, while looking for the island of Bimini, Juan discovered Florida

Despite the opposition, Diego remained performing his position well. He returned to Spain in 1520 and the king and queen favorably received him. After a short stay he returned to Santo Domingo, only to have to return to Spain two years later to answer trumped-up charges against him. He spent the rest of his life in legal suits, against the royal treasury and suits against him by other heirs.

Fernando went to Hispaniola with his brother and after a few months returned to Spain where he lived the rest of this life. He had a good income from his estate and became a writer. He wrote about his father’s adventures and was a bibliographer and cosmographer, developing a library of 1,500 books. His writings are a significant source on the history of his father’s travels.

Christopher had two brothers Bartolomeo, his senior and Diego his junior. Both accompanied him on his journeys and both died in Santo Domingo. Bartolomeo was very active in working with Christopher. He tried unsuccessfully to get the British Crown and France to take an interest in Christopher’s quest for the East before the Spanish royalty assented. Diego was not as active, but accompanied Christopher on his second voyage and all three returned to Spain in chains. After exoneration of the charges brought against them, Diego became a priest and returned to Santo Domingo where he died in 1509.

These men were exceedingly brave. None of the trips that Columbus made were without strife. Some of them were exceedingly horrible. The contending with unpredictable weather conditions, worm-eaten boats, rotten food, illnesses, native discontent, mutinies, internecine violence and jealousies, demonstrate significant mettle of all of those involved. Yet, with all of these problems on the sea, at home, and in and about the new land they continued their quest to find the East (Asia).

Pictures are of Columbus and Doña Beatriz Enirquez de Arana, his brother Don Bartolomeo and his son Fernando.