the acqusition of wea;lth was the main reason Spain funded Columbus' Enterpirze of the Indeis
Chavelle MIatland
Montego Bay Community College
History (Yr2) “The recorded history of the West Indies does not grow gradually, as most Old World histories grow, out of a more remote mythological or archaeological past. It begins abruptly with a definite event: the arrival of the first European discoverers in Columbus’s fleet in 1492.”1 This quote sums up the written (from a European point of view) historical finding of what is now known as the West Indies based on the writings of cartographer Christopher Columbus after he set out on his “La Empresa de la Indies”-Enterprise of the Indies2. He [Columbus] was born in Italy and moved to Lisbon3 where he studied Portuguese records of their exploration of the West African coast. It was as a result of this gained knowledge and other inferred ideas based on his Christian teachings4 that he came up with his idea of taking this route by way of the west to reach the east/India, an idea which took twelve (12) years to reach its full potential. He first took this idea to Portugal then England, France and Spain all of which initially turned him down. It was after the Reconquista5 between Spain and the Portuguese Moors which ended when Garanada the last Muslim strong hold was captured by Spain and after which the Edit of Expulsion was signed6 that Columbus was granted audience by Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon (Spain’s king and queen). In this opportunity Columbus promised the kingdom riches of gold, spices and precious stones, and also a new and safer trade route to the east. This came at a time when Portugal was making waves in the navigational field and hence reaping the benefits of their exploration, and had left the Spanish monopoly in dept after the war with their Moors. It is with this knowledge in mind that the researcher intends to show that the acquisition of wealth was the mere reason Spain funded Columbus’ Enterprise of the Indies.
The first indication of Spain’s need for new and
Montego Bay Community College
History (Yr2) “The recorded history of the West Indies does not grow gradually, as most Old World histories grow, out of a more remote mythological or archaeological past. It begins abruptly with a definite event: the arrival of the first European discoverers in Columbus’s fleet in 1492.”1 This quote sums up the written (from a European point of view) historical finding of what is now known as the West Indies based on the writings of cartographer Christopher Columbus after he set out on his “La Empresa de la Indies”-Enterprise of the Indies2. He [Columbus] was born in Italy and moved to Lisbon3 where he studied Portuguese records of their exploration of the West African coast. It was as a result of this gained knowledge and other inferred ideas based on his Christian teachings4 that he came up with his idea of taking this route by way of the west to reach the east/India, an idea which took twelve (12) years to reach its full potential. He first took this idea to Portugal then England, France and Spain all of which initially turned him down. It was after the Reconquista5 between Spain and the Portuguese Moors which ended when Garanada the last Muslim strong hold was captured by Spain and after which the Edit of Expulsion was signed6 that Columbus was granted audience by Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon (Spain’s king and queen). In this opportunity Columbus promised the kingdom riches of gold, spices and precious stones, and also a new and safer trade route to the east. This came at a time when Portugal was making waves in the navigational field and hence reaping the benefits of their exploration, and had left the Spanish monopoly in dept after the war with their Moors. It is with this knowledge in mind that the researcher intends to show that the acquisition of wealth was the mere reason Spain funded Columbus’ Enterprise of the Indies.
The first indication of Spain’s need for new and