How Did Christopher Columbus Report Of The First Voyage

Christopher Columbus: Report of the First Voyage
In 1493, Christopher Columbus writes the “Report of the First Voyage” (Perkins 28). In this letter to the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Columbus explains the events that took place during his first exploration of the New World. The significance of Columbus’s letter to Ferdinand and Isabella was that it set the tone for how writers described the New World. The historical impact of the “Report of the First Voyage” is insurmountable as it paved the way for future settlers, writers, and explores of the New World. Once published, Columbus’s letter to the King and Queen enabled all of Europe with a destiny to head towards the New World in search of exploration, conquest, and settlement.
The

letter once published in Rome announced the existence of the American continent throughout all of Europe. Columbus wrote “there I found very many islands filled with people without number, and of them all I have taken possession for their Highnesses” (28). It is obvious that his letter suggest (knowingly or unknowingly) how simple exploration to the New World is. Columbus starts by mentioning how short of a time it took to reach first land saying “you will learn how in twenty days I reached the Indies with the fleet” (Columbus 28). Knowing that his letter would be published, it was important that the timeline for how long it would take to travel to the New World be in his letter. Columbus, although maybe unknowingly is already promoting the exploration of the New World with promises of a short travels and great exploration.
Columbus also found the natives to be easily controllable.

He states “in the first island which I found, I took by force some of them in order that they might learn [Castilian] and give me information of what they had in those parts” (Columbus 29). Columbus painted an image of conquest that persuaded others in Europe, not just Spain and Rome to send their own explorers into North America. Europeans then went with goals to increase their power and wealth for their own selfish reasons. Eventually as a result of Columbus’s letter, the French, Spanish, and English started to explore the North America’s, many Indians were conquered and killed in the conquest of gold and

riches.
In another part of Columbus’s letter he writes “might be made Christians and be inclined to the love and service of their Highnesses and of the whole Castilian nation” (Columbus 29).

Originally when Columbus had convinced the Ferdinand and Isabella to fund his exploration, it was with promises of Christian conversion in India. Subsequently, Columbus discovered North America first and developed dreams of Christianity in the New World. Columbus spreads that idea throughout his writing speaking of how easily they received him. As his letter was received all throughout Europe, many conquest were sent out with a common goal: the spread of Christianity. Erik Seeman, author of Death in the New World: Cross-Cultural Encounters writes “Indian deathways would be crucial to the success of Christianization, and the Christian afterlife would be one of the Europeans’ greatest selling points” (46).
The historical impact of Columbus’s description of the Indian religion led others to believe that the Indians were capable of conversion to Christianity. In the years to come, European nations sent missionaries and armies to conquer the Indians in hopes of ensuring the survival of Christianity throughout all the lands. Although Columbus was not directly responsible, it was his literature that paved the way for those future events that took place in the New

World.
Columbus, often referred to as the founder of the New World not only set the way for exploration, conquest and settlement but he also set the way for literature. His writing although not direct was convincing to the Europeans that the New World was full of opportunity. As new settlements began to populate, writers were often asked to write of the great lands and endless opportunities with a goal of increased settlement. Columbus was not just the discoverer of the New World but the father of New World literature.