Name
Class
Date
Primary Source
New Empires in the Americas
The Journal of Christopher
Columbus
ABOUT THE READING In 1492, Christopher
Columbus sailed west from Spain. His goal
was to gain wealth for the king and queen of
Spain. Columbus wrote a journal to keep a
record of his voyage for his patrons. In it he
described what he experienced on the journey. The ideas that Columbus had before he
left Spain influenced how he saw things.
VOCABULARY
detached separated
submerged underwater
reckoning calculation
As you read note what Columbus saw and what
he thought about during his journey.
Sunday, 16 September
Columbus had three ships in his fleet. They left Spain
on August 3, 1492. They sailed southwest to the Canary
Islands off the coast of Africa. Then they headed west
across the Atlantic Ocean.
“We began to see patches of bright green weed,
not long detached, it appeared, from the land. The
voyage is growing long, and we are far from home,
and the men are beginning to complain about the
length of the journey and about me for involving them in it. When they saw these great rafts of
weeds in the distance they began to be afraid that
they were rocks or submerged ground, which made
them even more impatient and outspoken in their
complaints against me. Having seen the ships sailing
through the weed, however, they have lost their fear
somewhat, though not entirely. Everyone thought
we were near some island, but I do not think it is
the mainland, which by my reckoning is much further on.”
The sailors thought their ships
were going to hit rocks or get
stuck in shallow water.
Source: From The Voyage of Christopher Columbus: Columbus’ Own
Journal of Discovery Newly Restored and Translated by John Cummins.
Copyright © 1992 by John Cummins. Reproduced by permission of
St. Martin’s Press, LLC.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
17
New Empires in the Americas
Name
Class
The Journal of Christopher Columbus, continued
Date
Primary Source
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
1. How did the sailors feel at this point in the voyage and why did they feel that way?
Thursday, 11 October
Columbus described how his men saw birds, fish, and
plants that told them they were very close to land. They
sighted land in the middle of the night and reached an
island in the morning. Columbus thought they were off
the coast of China. But they were in the Caribbean Sea
northeast of Cuba.
“When we stepped ashore we saw fine green trees,
streams everywhere and different kinds of fruit. I
called to the two captains to jump ashore with the
rest, . . . asking them to bear solemn witness that in the
presence of all I was taking possession of this island for
their Lord and Lady the King and Queen. . .
Soon many of the islanders gathered around us.
I could see that they were people who would be
more easily converted to our Holy Faith by love
than by coercion, and wishing them to look on us
with friendship I gave some of them red bonnets
and glass beads which they hung round their necks,
and many other things of small value, at which they
were so delighted and so eager to please us that we
could not believe it. Later they swam out to the
boats to bring us parrots and balls of cotton thread
and darts, and many other things, exchanging them
for such objects as glass beads and hawk bells. They
took anything, and gave willingly whatever they
had.”
VOCABULARY
ashore on land
coercion force
Columbus believed it would be
easier to convert the natives to
Christianity by love than by force.
Objects made of glass and metal
were new to the islanders. Metal
bells were tied to the feet of
hawks to help hunters locate
them.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
2. How would you describe Columbus’s attitude toward the islanders?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
18
New Empires in the Americas
Name
Class
The Journal of Christopher Columbus, continued
Date
Primary Source
Saturday, 13 October
Columbus was impressed with the islanders, and he
described them as handsome. He also described them
as poor, based on the fact that they were naked. Yet he
saw something that fed his desire for wealth.
“I kept my eyes open and tried to find out if there
was any gold, and I saw that some of them had
a little piece hanging from a hole in their nose. I
gathered from their signs that if one goes south, or
around the south side of the island, there is a king
with great jars full of it, enormous amounts. I tried
to persuade them to go there, but I saw that the idea
was not to their liking.”
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
3. How did Columbus communicate with the islanders? Do you think they under-
stood each other well? Why or why not?
Sunday, 14 October
Columbus sent some of his small boats to explore the
island. He discovered a good harbor and a piece of
land that might be suitable for a fort. He addressed the
king and queen directly in this passage.
“These people have little knowledge of fighting,
as Your Majesties will see from the seven I have
had captured to take away with us so as to teach
them our language and return them, unless your
Majesties’ orders are that they all be taken to Spain
or held captive on the island itself, for with fifty
VOCABULARY
King
Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella
subjection control
Your Majesties
Columbus planned to let his native
prisoners go after they learned
Spanish.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
19
New Empires in the Americas
Name
Class
The Journal of Christopher Columbus, continued
Date
Primary Source
men one could keep the whole population in subjection and make them do whatever is wanted.”
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
4. Why did Columbus think it would be easy for the Spanish to control the natives?
DRAW CONCLUSIONS
5. What did Columbus think or do that showed he was friendly to the islanders?
6. Did Columbus think or do anything that showed a lack of respect for the island-
ers? Explain your answer.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
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New Empires in the Americas