APUSH
Columbus Questions
1. In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella had just ended a war with the Moors, otherwise known as Muslims, and conquered Granada. In the same year, Jewish people were expelled from the Spain, and Columbus was granted passage to India via a western route.
2. The King of India is referred to by Columbus as the Great Can, meaning the King of Kings.
3. Columbus seeks out India in order to “learn their disposition and the proper method of converting them to our holy faith”. Spain’s’ goal undoubtedly was also about finding a route that had not yet been controlled in order to play a part in the spice trade.
4. Columbus obtains the title of Don, and the High Admiral of the Sea, as well as rights to be the governor of any land he discovers and conquers.
5. Only 3 days after the start of the voyage, the ship Pinta becomes damaged “by the contrivance of Gomez Rascon and Christopher Quintero … because they disliked the voyage. On multiple occasions Columbus would also lie to the crew about distances travelled. On long voyages, mutinies were a reality and thus it was very important to keep up morale by encouraging them with prospects of fortune and faster voyages.
6. Columbus does not only lie to his crewmembers about the leagues travelled to keep his crew at bay, but also to further appease the crown and portraying himself as a man worthy of the name Don, as well the opportunity Spain gave him.
7. Columbus somehow knows what the “Indians” call the island they first land at, while there is absolutely no way he could have known the language at all.
8. After his first interactions with the natives, Columbus believes that “they could be much more easily converted to our holy faith by gentle means”, and mentions that they mean even readily accept Christianity as they appear to have no religion.
9. Columbus is convinced that the natives are poor because they have no clothes on their back whatsoever, they willingly