This is easy to find online and is a short read. There is a Spanish version or an English version.
Wikipedia is also helpful in getting your bearings.
Sobre el autor y la obra
-
Cristóbal
Colón
o
Vida:
(1451-1506)
o
Born in
Italy
o
Went on four voyages sponsored by Catholic
monarchs of Spain (this letter is from the first voyage)
o
Wanted to find the East Indies
-
The letter was written by Colón on February 15,
1493 while he was at sea (on the Niña) on his return voyage – it was sent when
he arrived in Portugal in March 1493
-
Colón sent the first copy of the letter to the
monarchs Fernando and Isabel, then sent a copy to Luis de Santangel, his principal
supporter and financial backer
-
Various copies of the letter were printed to
spread the news throughout Europe around Columbus’s voyage
Resumen (via the oh-so-awesome Wikipedia)
In his letter,
Christopher Columbus claims to have discovered and taken possession of a series
of islands on the edge of the Indian Ocean in Asia. He described the islands,
particularly Hispaniola and Cuba, exaggerating their size and wealth, and
suggested that mainland China probably lay nearby. He also gave a brief
description of the native Arawaks (whom he called "Indians"),
emphasizing their docility and amenability, and the prospects of their mass
conversion to Catholic Christianity. However, the letter also revealed local
rumors about a fierce man-eating tribe of "monsters" in the area
(probably Caribs), although Columbus himself disbelieved the stories, and
dismissed them as myth. The letter provides very few details of the journey
itself, and covers up the loss of the flagship of his fleet, the Santa María,
by suggesting Columbus left it behind with some colonists, in a fort he erected
at La Navidad in Hispaniola. In the letter, Columbus urges the Catholic
monarchs to sponsor a second, larger expedition to the Indies, promising to
bring back immense riches.
Temas/ideas importantes
-
Estilo
de escritura
o
Carta
– primera persona
o
No describe
tanto la manera que viajó, enfoca más en lo que encontró allí
-
Religión
o
Says he gave them many gifts to inspire them to
be good-natured and later become Christians
o
Says the people have no religion, nor idoloatry
-
Interest
in economic gain
o
Describes the landscape and size of the islands
o
In his description of “Hispaniola,” he
emphasizes the many ports and the rivers
o
Lots of fruits, honey, and mines of metals
(Hispaniola)
o
“well-made men of commanding stature” – good for
slaves
o
The people are intelligent – good for
work/slavery
o
Exaggerates the size of one island, comparing it
to the size of England and Scotland combined – interest in it becoming a Spanish
colony
o
Refers to an island that has countless gold
o
Says that if the monarchs help him go on a
second voyage, he will bring gold, spices, cotton, and slaves, as well as
possibly rhubarb and cinnamon
-
“The
human element”
o
Indicates that the people he found had no clear
form of government
o
Says the people seem very timid and carry no
weapons
o
The people are described as very generous, with
no real sense of value
o
Says the people are not ignorant, but rather are
intelligent
o
Minimal physical description – not as black as
in Guinea, straight and coarse hair
o Idea of the "Indian" as "buen salvaje"
Apuntes generales
-
Says he sailed to the “Indies” in thirty-three
days
o
Wikipedia emphasizes that this would have 33
days distance from the Canary Islands, 71 days from Spain itself – ambiguous to
protect potential future colonies from Portugal
-
Declares that he has taken possession of these
islands for the royalty of Spain
o
Again, a protection-from-Portugal move
(Wikipedia)
-
Says he has named all five islands that he found
-
Describes the landscape and size of the islands,
and the resources that are available
-
Describes the people as well-made/sturdy, but
timid
-
Says that he gave the people several gifts
-
The people are generous and don’t have much
sense of value, they give gold in exchange for worthless trinkets
-
Colón tried to avoid exploitation of the “Indians”
o
Ex: sailor exchanged a leather strap for some
gold
-
He gave them gifts to win their good favor and
induce them to become Christians and loyal servants to the Spanish monarchs and
nation
-
Says the
people have no religion, nor idolatry
-
They believe that Colón, with the ships and men,
came from heaven
-
Describes the many canoes that they have on the
islands – compares them to a galley
-
Says that the different people on the different
islands seem similar and appear to understand each other
-
Exaggerates the size of one island, comparing it
to the size of England and Scotland combined – interest in it becoming a Spanish
colony; compares another to the size of the entire Spanish peninsula
-
He has taken possession of a large town in
Hispaniola and has began fortifications in a city called “Navidad” – he left
men there and a ship
o
His claim to have left a ship is his way to
cover up the loss of the Santa María
-
Claims to believe that the islands are close to
the Asian mainland
-
Says the men only have one wife, except for the
leaders, who have up to twenty
-
The women appear to work harder than the men
-
They have no concept of property, but share
everything
-
Minimal physical description – not as black as
in Guinea, straight and coarse hair
-
The people eat food with very hot spices
-
Talks about monsters – says he has not seen any,
but has heard rumors about cannibals. Also refers to rumors of some women that seem
kind of like Amazons.--"These women have no feminine occupation, but use bows and arrows of cane like those before mentioned, and cover and arm themselves with plates of copper, of which they have a great quantity."
-
Talks about an island that is rumored to have
countless gold
-
Says that if they help him go on a second
voyage, he will bring back gold, spices, cotton, and slaves, as well as possibly
cinnamon and rhubarb
FULL of himself: "Indeed, I might have accomplished much more, had the crews served me as they ought to have done."
FULL of himself: "Indeed, I might have accomplished much more, had the crews served me as they ought to have done."
-
In the postscript says they have faced a bad
storm and will have to land in Portugal (Lisbon)
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