Lets Talk Columbus

by whatarewedoing91

I'm looking for help on finding reliable sources that talk about Columbus.

Specifically I am looking for information on his involvement with the slave trade. I read one article from the 90s that stated the following:

  • He sent 9 slaves to Spain during the 1st voyage and several dozen during the 2nd voyage
  • During the 3rd voyage he sent home 1600 slaves to be sold in Europe.
  • Columbus incated a form of slavery on the island of Hispaniola.
  • The Spanish king and queen of the time did not like the practice of slavery and told Columbus to stop.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1992-05-17-9205160196-story,amp.html

The problem I am running into is that this article doesn't site their sources, and when I read more recent articles they do not reference this information. There will just make blanket statements about how Columbus had slaves.

I've searched on Google Scholar but keep running into pay walls, so I'm curious what resources you all would use to find this information? I also welcome anyone's comments or insight on this topic.

TywinDeVillena

Let's go with some sources on the matter.

On the first voyage, he did not take 9 natives back to Spain, but 7 according to Columbus. Source: Columbus' Diary of the First Navigation, entry for October 14th. I translate: [...] these people are very simple in their weapons, as Your Highnesses shall see from the seven I took in order to bring them and have them learn our language [...]

On the second voyage, Columbus had taken over 500 natives, and he proposed they be sold as slaves in Seville. Source: León Guerrero, Montserrat, El segundo viaje colombino, Valladolid, 2000 (doctoral thesis), page 419.

The Spanish king and queen of the time did not like the practice of slavery and told Columbus to stop.

This is not quite true. They did not have a problem with the concept of slavery per se, but with the enslavement of their own vassals. That's the point when Isabel told Columbus to stop enslaving the Indians. Source: Varela, Consuelo, Isabel la Católica y Cristóbal Colón. Digitally available in Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes.

Columbus did start a system of servitude and forced labour on the island of Hispaniola, with devastating results. Source: Casas, fray Bartolomé de las, Historia de las Indias, chapter CL. Digitally available here.

Kerravaggio

U/voyeur collected some of the many posts about this topic already answered. You may wish to start there. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/h8otki/i_see_a_lot_of_accusations_of_genocide_of/