Christopher Columbus' Procedures for the New World

The author of this list of procedures is none other than the great Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer, who sought new land for the Highnesses of Spain in the year 1492. Christopher completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents. Columbus was seeking wealth through the establishment of trade routes and colonies, Columbus' theoretical proposal, to reach the East Indies by sailing westward, eventually received the support of the Spanish crown, which saw in it a chance to gain the upper hand over rival powers in the contest for the beneficial spice trade with Asia. This well thought out list was meant for the King and Queen of Spain, to reassure them that the “Island of Espanola” would have a sense of structure as would any colony under the rule of the King. He explains that the numbers of colonist that want to join the voyage are two thousand, in search for a safer trading and improved farming. This also minimizes the danger of returning home from trading with neighboring islands. This letter was meant to persuade the Highnesses to give their blessing to the colonization of the “Island of Espanola”.

Columbus clarifies that in the island there will be founded three or four towns being established in the most convenient places, and that each settler will be assigned to these settlements. Each town will have a mayor and its own notary public, as it was in Castile. Castile was a former kingdom that took up most of Spain through the 13th and 18th century. There would be a church for parish priests or friars to give the holy sacraments, to show their worship, and for the conversion of the Indian’s religion. To be able to collect gold, you...

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... chest so that each owner will receive their belongings when the boat ports on shore. When the ship ports, the captain of the ship will examine the cargo to makes sure nothing is missing or if anything extra was brought on board. Then the said chest will be carried off shore to the city of Cadiz and will be opened in front of the said magistrates.

I felt like this was just the beginning of many guidelines or procedures to come. Even though most of these rules seem reasonable to follow, something tells me this is when the King takes advantage of his power with the new land found. Which in then leads to the rebellion of the colonists? This piece is very similar to the way banks and/or businesses handle and transport our money with each other in the present. Maybe this was the era when banks and business were created to handle all the gold that was going to be found.