Columbus Blog

The third Voyage is the first mention of the desire for religion from Queen Isabella and Ferdinand, in conjunction with Columbus’ voyages. “Sir Christopher Columbus, our admiral, viceroy and governor…you are to encourage and lead the natives of the Indies…and especially to convert them to our holy Catholic faith”[1]Columbus was a religious zealot and truly believed that he had been chosen by God “Our Lord has favored my occupation and has given me an intelligent mind. He has endowed me…to fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah”[2]

The deal that Columbus reached with Ferdinand’s and Isabella was called Santa Fe Capitulations. He was granted reward for his voyage,

            “First appoint Christopher Columbus from now on as your admiral,

            Also your Highnesses appoint Sir Christopher your viceroy and

            Governor General in all those islands and any mainland and islands

            that he may discover and acquire in the seas. …and take for himself

            one-tenth of all and any merchandise”[3]

Columbus was also granted the royal offices that he had requested in the Granada Capitulations, as seen in Document 11.

            Columbus discoveries expanded the Rule of Ferdinand and Isabel with the colonization of the Americas and the West Indies. Colonization, while being capitalist in approach, also used religion and culture as their reasoning for colonizing “savages.” Later though, when it was revealed that some of the explorers acted in a less than Christian attitude towards the natives, Geraldini pleads in a letter to the vicar that “And now, most holy Father, those unspeakable mortals, who were so savage to naked, unarmed men who lived by natures laws, flee for sanctuary to Christian churches;…atrocities were committed against the human race, against a race of men who the name of Christ had never reached.”[4]

Columbus discovery enforced the Spanish rulers as Catholic Monarchs. Ferdinand had already signed a decree ordering all Jews to be baptized in March of 1492, (or to leave Spain) before Columbus sailed. After he sailed Portugal was not happy that Spain was taking the rights to the discovered islands. The Monarchs asked the Pope to intervene.

            At the pope’s request, a Franciscan monk went on the second voyage of Columbus and it was decreed that they convert the native population to Christianity. “Christ Fernando and our dearest daughter in Christ Isabel, have recently caused to be explained to us that…they wanted the Catholic faith to flourish and be exalted in the lands and islands newly discovered”[5]

            Christianizing and colonizing went hand in hand during that period. Although Spain was there to capitalize on the land, they also wanted to be “missionaries” and spread the word of God. Religion played a large role in the attitudes and justifications of actions of those in power.  

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[1] Document 17, Instructions to Columbus for Colonization of the Indies, Burgos, April 23, 1497,  Quoted in Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A brief history with Documentsy, (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005) 102-103

[2] Document 5, Christopher Columbus undated letter to Fernando and Isabel, 1500-1502, 51-52

[3] Document 10,  Santa Fe Capitulations, Santa Fe, April 17, 1492, 60-61

[4] Document 33, Alessandro Geraldini On Caribs and Tainos, March 29, 1522, p 175

[5] Document 24, Alexander VI, “Piis Fidelium”, Rome, June 25, 1493