Columbus' Success and the Discovery and Exchange System

Columbus' Success and the Discovery and Exchange System

The compendium La explotación del exito colombino con el sistema de viajes de descubrimiento y rescate combines the important documents concerning Christopher Columbus and the Conquista from several important Spanish archives: the Archivo General in Simancas, the Archivo de Protocolos, and the Archivo de Indias, both in Seville. Assembled across 40 pages in total are certificates, letters, ordinances, contracts, and other documents, which allow us to draw some conclusions about the politics of the Spanish crown with respect to the discovery of America. Beginning with Christopher Columbus’ expedition to “India” in 1492, the discovery and exploitation of the New World became an important sector of the Spanish economy. This development began in 1519 with the so-called viajes de descubrimiento y rescate, self-financed voyages of discovery by private contractors with the license of Spain. The documents of this compendium give an exciting look into this groundbreaking epoch of world history.

A Great Explorer at the Beginning of an Epoch

Christopher Columbus ca. 1451–1506, the famous Genoese seafarer, stood at the beginning of a momentous development. He undertook his first voyage of discovery over the Atlantic at the behest of the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492. His aim was to find a western sea route to India. In doing so, Columbus came upon a previously unknown continent, modern day America. Altogether, Christopher Columbus undertook four great voyages of discovery to America between the years 1492 and 1504 and settled the regions there in the name of the Spanish crown.

The Heirs of Columbus

This grandiose event signaled the beginning of the creation of the colonial Spanish Empire in modern South and Central America. After the discoveries of Columbus, there followed in the years 1499–1519 the so-called viajes de descubrimiento y rescate. These expeditions, also described as viajes menores or viajes andaluces, admittedly took place with the license of the Spanish crown. However, they were no royal commissions like Columbus, but rather self-financed expeditions, that is to say, private undertakings. The controversial monopoly of Christopher Columbus was broken in this way. Amerigo Vespucci took part in one of these post-Columbus expeditions. This Italian seafarer was one of the first to recognize that the regions discovered by Columbus were not part of Asia, but a completely new part of the world instead. In honor of him, this continent has been called America ever since.

Glimpse into a Historical Process

This ongoing process of discovery and land seizure, carried out by professional seafarers, was the beginning of the so-called Conquista, the Spanish conquest and settlement of the discovered regions. The compendium assembles historical documents, which give a glimpse into the processes and developments of this epoch. The certificates, letters, regulations, capitulations, and developments allow us to draw conclusions about the politics of the Spanish crown with respect to the exploitation of the New World on both sides of the Atlantic!