Hi!
I'm a high school history teacher seeking to find (if it exists) a connection between the writings of Gomes Eanes de Zurara and Christopher Columbus. In Jason Reynolds'/Ibram X. Kendi's book "Stamped: Racism, Antiracism & You", they make mention of Zurara being "The World's First Racist" (a bit of a tongue-in-cheek moniker, which the book's tone makes clear that they're not being 100% literal), and specifically point to his hagiographical account "The Chronicle of the Discovery and Conquest of Guinea" as a document that both A.) hyped up Gurara's patron, Prince Henry the Navigator, as this great and glorious man and B.) justified Portugal's enslavement of Africans as a sort of "noble" work that was saving the natives of Portugal's conquest by virtue of turning them from their "savagery" in the name of Christianity.
The timeline of Zurara's publication (1450) is such that it makes me wonder if Columbus might have been aware of his writing prior to his fateful expeditions to the Americas in the 1490s. I guess my question is just like the title of this post: Was Christopher Columbus aware of/inspired by the writings of Gomes Eanes de Zurara specifically, or was he merely inspired by the general mad rush for the "new world" that Europeans had after the initial successes of colonization that the Portuguese had under Henry the Navigator?
An interesting question, one that I am not sure if I can close fully. In short , I am not aware of any evidence of Columbus reading Zuraras work, and there are several indications that it wouldn't be so likely. Mainly the fact that the Chronicle wasn't really "published" in that sense of the word. The writing of it finished in the 1450s, but as far as I can gather from the introduction to (albeit dated) english translation of The Chronicle of the Discovery and Conquest of Guinea. Vol. I by Zurara, it seems that the work was never actually printed and disseminated in that period.
However, it seems the manuscript form did circulate somewhat, found in 1506 list of items of Lisbon based German printer Valentim Fernandes, who made some abridged copies (not prints I believe) and the work was variously known or not known to different Portuguese 16th century chroniclers. In this way, it is possible Columbus once in Portugal may have accessed the work. However it is almost impossible he read it before ending up in Portugal, as Columbus moved there in 1476 (also that's very close to probable death of Zurara himself, so the memory might still be fresh) and by that time no know copies exists, especially outside Portugal
What I think was more important than reading a work is the fact that in Portugal, Portuguese - and Columbus became immediatly involved - were heavily invested commercially, exploratory and politically in Africa. In the 1470s, just the time Columbus arrived, Portuguese had struck gold - figuratively and literary - by further explorations in Africa, reaching equator and finding numerous places where they can acquire gold, ivory and sadly slaves - all things that generated much profit.
It is much more likely that this immediate direct display of successful and wealth creating exploration is what inspired Columbus, rather then writings of comparatively relatively modest explorations of three decades ago described by Zurara