Columbus's four expeditions or how Europeans began to colonize America? The second voyage of Columbus - briefly the 2nd voyage of Columbus

Set sail from Cadiz on September 25, 1493. Instead of the insignificant flotilla which he had had at his disposal the previous year, he had seventeen ships under his command; Together with him, 1,200 people sailed on the second voyage, among whom were miners, artisans, and farmers, but the hidalgos (representatives of the nobility) were especially numerous. The expedition set out with the goal of not only making new discoveries, but also establishing colonies, obtaining gold from newly discovered lands, and converting local pagans to Christianity. Columbus took with him his brother Diego and twelve clergy, including the papal vicar, Benedictine monk Bernardo Boyle.

Portrait of Christopher Columbus. Artist S. del Piombo, 1519

The whole year of the second voyage was devoted to research and new discoveries. Columbus discovered and visited the island of Dominica (November 3, 1493), Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico (during the same month). On November 27, he arrived at Fort Navidad, which he had previously founded in Haiti and was now devastated by the natives. Alonso Ojeda began to explore the interior of Hispaniola (Haiti), looked for gold there and began to develop mines. Columbus, carried away by curiosity, again sailed along the coast of Cuba; he so wanted to make sure that these were the shores of the Asian continent that he made his sailors swear before the royal notary that it was indeed not an island, but a continent. If he had time to stock up on enough provisions, he intended to continue sailing along the coast to the Red Sea and return from his second trip to Spain by the Mediterranean Sea, or to go around the southern tip of Africa in order to amaze the Portuguese. On his way back he saw Jamaica and finally arrived on the island of Isabella on September 4, 1494.

Everything there was in a bad situation. The colonists, who were among the adventurers who were not accustomed to obeying their superiors, constantly sent new complaints to Spain. The natives, who were subjected to various forms of violence and forced to work in the mines, rebelled against the conquerors. With the help of Ojeda, Columbus soon restored order there, but this brilliant navigator was such a bad administrator that he incurred general hatred. He was accused of rude treatment, of arrogance, and especially of the fact that he was not a Spaniard, but a Genoese. Fortunately for Columbus, his brother Bartolomeo, an energetic, intelligent, brave and very experienced man in everything related to navigation, came to his aid. Columbus appointed him to the position adelantado, that is, the territorial governor, but this governor was also a Genoese native. Even the clergy were so frightened by the strange antics of the admiral who had fallen into religious hypochondria that they refused to help him. In Spain, only denunciations were received about Columbus's inability and his despotism.

Spanish monarchs Ferdinand And Isabel finally they were forced to send a commissioner to investigate the case (August October 1495); this commissioner, Juan Aguado, was convinced of the pitiful situation of the colony and in this sense wrote his report to the king. Columbus, wanting to prevent the danger that threatened him, decided to go to Spain with Aguado (in March 1496). He could no longer count on the same enthusiastic reception that was given to him after his return from the first expedition. However, even after the second journey he was kindly received at court. He was again confirmed in all his honorable positions, and all the former privileges were again granted to him; he even petitioned for his brother’s confirmation to the rank of “adelantado.”

September 25, 1493 17 ships left Cadiz under the command of the legendary traveler and discoverer Christopher Columbus. According to various sources, the second expedition included from 1,500 to 2,500 people, among them were sailors, priests and monks, as well as nobles and courtiers, officials seduced by the opportunity to make quick money on newly discovered lands. The ships carried donkeys and horses, cattle, pigs, crop seeds and grapevines, which were needed to organize the colony.

Unlike the first voyage, this time Columbus set a course 10° to the south, caught a fair wind and was able to cross the ocean in a record time - 20 days. In November, the ships approached the island, which Columbus named Dominican Republic. The island was discovered on Sunday, and "dominica" is translated from Spanish as "Sunday." Then the expedition turned north. Along the way, Columbus discovered and marked on the map a number of islands, including St. Croix, St. Eustatius and St. Kitts, Saba, Montserrat, Nevis, Guadeloupe and Antigua. Continuing to head north, he saw a land consisting of forty islands, which were called the Virgin Islands (translated from Spanish as “maidens”).

At the end of November, the ships moored in Hispaniola (Haiti), where a terrible sight was revealed to the sailors. The fort that was built here during the first voyage was burned. There were no Europeans left: some were killed by local residents, others drowned while trying to escape by boat. The team rebuilt a new fort and went in search of new lands. The expedition rounded Cape Maysi, passed along the southeastern coast of Cuba, reached the island of Jamaica, from where it turned back towards Cuba, reached Cape Cruz, headed west and, having reached 84° W, turned back. Having covered a distance of 1,700 km, Columbus did not reach only 100 km to the western tip of Cuba, but was forced to return due to the fact that the sea had become fairly shallow, the sailors were dissatisfied, and food was running out. The ships entered the harbor of Cadiz in June 1496.

The result of Columbus's second voyage was the conquest of Hispaniola and the extermination local residents, the city of Santo Domingo was founded and appeared on the map, the optimal sea route to the West Indies. A map was drawn south coast Cubes. Among the discoveries are the islands of Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Lesser Antilles and the Virgin Islands. However, Columbus is confident that his ships are passing through Western India. It is noteworthy that the sea route to India was opened only in the 16th century. Nevertheless, the name “West Indies” was assigned to the islands that appeared on the map thanks to Columbus.

Despite the fact that with the voyage of Columbus geographic map at that time was significantly enriched, it was considered unsuccessful. This is because little gold was discovered, and disease was raging in the organized colony of Isabella. In Spain, Columbus was greeted coldly, and subsequently he was deprived of many privileges.

Christopher Columbus or Cristobal Colon(Italian: Cristoforo Colombo, Spanish: Cristоbal Colоn; between August 25 and October 31, 1451 - May 10, 1506) - a famous navigator and cartographer of Italian origin, who wrote his name in history as the man who discovered America for Europeans.

Columbus was the first of the reliably known navigators to cross Atlantic Ocean in the subtropical zone of the northern hemisphere, the first European to sail to, discovered the Central and South America, marking the beginning of the exploration of the continents and their nearby archipelagos:

Greater Antilles (Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico);
Lesser Antilles (from Dominica to the Virgin Islands and Trinidad);
Bahamas.

Although calling him the “Discoverer of America” is not entirely historically correct, since back in the Middle Ages the coast of continental America and nearby islands were visited by Icelandic Vikings. Since the data on those voyages did not go beyond Scandinavia, it was Columbus’s expeditions that first made information about the Western lands world property. The expedition finally proved that a new part of the world had been discovered. Columbus's discoveries marked the beginning of the colonization of American territories by Europeans, the founding of Spanish settlements, the enslavement and mass extermination of the indigenous population, erroneously called “Indians.”

Biography pages

The legendary Christopher Columbus, the greatest of the medieval navigators, can quite reasonably be called one of the biggest losers of the Age of Discovery. To understand this, it is enough to familiarize yourself with his biography, which, unfortunately, is replete with “white” spots.

It is believed that Christopher Columbus was born in the maritime Italian republic of Genoa (Italian: Genova), on the island of Corsica in August-October 1451, although the exact date of his birth remains in question to this day. In general, not much is known about childhood and adolescence.

So, Cristoforo was the first-born in a poor Genoese family. The father of the future navigator, Domenico Colombo, was engaged in pastures, vineyards, worked as a wool weaver, and traded wine and cheese. Christopher's mother, Susanna Fontanarossa, was the daughter of a weaver. Christopher had 3 younger brothers - Bartolome (about 1460), Giacomo (about 1468), Giovanni Pellegrino, who died very early - and a sister, Bianchinetta.

Documentary evidence from the time shows that the family's financial situation was deplorable. Particularly large financial problems arose because of the house into which the family moved when Christopher was 4 years old. Much later, on the foundations of that house in Santo Domingo, where Cristoforo spent his childhood, a building was erected called “Casa di Colombo” (Spanish: Casa di Colombo - “House of Columbus”), on the facade of which in 1887 an inscription appeared : " No parental home can be more revered than this».

Since Colombo the elder was a respected artisan in the city, in 1470 he was sent on an important mission to Savona (Italian: Savona) to discuss with weavers the issue of introducing uniform prices for textile products. Apparently, this is why Dominico moved with his family to Savona, where after the death of his wife and youngest son, as well as after his eldest sons left home and Bianca’s marriage, he increasingly began to seek solace in a glass of wine.

Since the future discoverer of America grew up near the sea, from childhood he was attracted by the sea. From his youth, Christopher was distinguished by faith in omens and divine providence, morbid pride and a passion for gold. He had a remarkable mind, versatile knowledge, a talent for eloquence and the gift of persuasion. It is known that after studying a little at the University of Pavia, around 1465 the young man entered service in the Genoese fleet and at a fairly early age began to sail as a sailor on the Mediterranean Sea on merchant ships. After some time, he was seriously wounded and temporarily left the service.

He may have become a merchant and settled in Portugal in the mid-1470s, joining a community of Italian merchants in Lisbon and sailing north to England, Ireland and Iceland under the Portuguese flag. He visited Madeira, the Canary Islands, walked along west coast Africa to modern Ghana.

In Portugal, around 1478, Christopher Columbus married the daughter of a prominent navigator of the time, Doña Felipe Moniz de Palestrello, becoming a member of a wealthy Italo-Portuguese family in Lisbon. Soon the young couple had a son, Diego. Until 1485, Columbus sailed on Portuguese ships, was engaged in trade and self-education, and became interested in drawing maps. In 1483 he already had it ready new project sea trade route to India and Japan, which the navigator presented to the king of Portugal. But, apparently, his time had not yet come, or he failed to convincingly convince the monarch of the need to equip the expedition, but after 2 years of deliberation, the king rejected this enterprise, and the daring sailor fell into disgrace. Then Columbus switched to Spanish service, where a few years later he managed to persuade the king to finance a naval expedition.

Already in 1486 H.K. managed to intrigue the influential Duke of Medina-Seli with his project, who introduced the poor but obsessed navigator into the circle of the royal entourage, bankers and merchants.

In 1488, he received an invitation from the Portuguese king to return to Portugal; the Spaniards also wanted to organize an expedition, but the country was in a state of protracted war and was unable to allocate funds for the voyage.

Columbus's First Expedition

In January 1492, the war ended, and soon Christopher Columbus obtained permission to organize an expedition, but once again his bad character let him down! The navigator's demands were excessive: appointment as viceroy of all new lands, the title of "Chief Admiral of the Ocean" and a large amount of money. The king refused him, however, Queen Isabella promised her help and assistance. As a result, on April 30, 1492, the king officially made Columbus a nobleman, granting him the title “Don” and approving all the demands put forward.

Expeditions of Christopher Columbus

In total, Columbus made 4 voyages to the American coast:

August 2, 1492 – March 15, 1493

Purpose first Spanish expedition, led by Christopher Columbus, was the search for the shortest sea route to India. This small expedition consisted of 90 people “Santa Maria” (Spanish: Santa María), “Pinta” (Spanish: Pinta) and “Ninya” (Spanish: La Niña). “Santa Maria” - on August 3, 1492, set off from Palos (Spanish: Cabo de Palos) on 3 caravels. Having reached the Canary Islands and turning west, she crossed the Atlantic and discovered the Sargasso Sea. The first land seen among the waves was one of the islands of the Bahamas archipelago, called San Salvador Island, on which Columbus landed on October 12, 1492 - this day is considered the official date of the discovery of America. Then a number of Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti were discovered.

In March 1493, the ships returned to Castile, carrying in their holds a certain amount of gold, strange plants, bright feathers of birds and several natives. Christopher Columbus announced that he had discovered western India.

September 25, 1493 – June 11, 1496

In 1493 she set off and second expedition, who was already in rank
admiral. 17 ships and more than 2 thousand people took part in this grand enterprise. In November 1493
The following islands were discovered: Dominica, Guadeloupe and the Antilles. In 1494, the expedition explored the islands of Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and Juventud.

This expedition, which ended on June 11, 1496, opened the way to colonization. To settle new colonies in open lands began sending out priests, settlers and criminals.

May 30, 1498 – November 25, 1500

Third Exploration Expedition, consisting of only 6 ships, started in 1498. On July 31, the island of Trinidad (Spanish: Trinidad) was discovered, then the Gulf of Paria (Spanish: Golfo de Paria), the Paria Peninsula and the mouth (Spanish: Río Orinoco). On August 15, the crew discovered (Spanish: Isla Margarita). In 1500, Columbus, arrested following a denunciation, was sent to Castile. He did not stay in prison for long, but, having received freedom, he lost many privileges and most of his wealth - this became the biggest disappointment in the life of a navigator.

9 May 1502 – November 1504

Fourth expedition started in 1502. Having obtained permission to continue the search for the western route to India, on June 15, on just 4 ships, Columbus reached the island of Martinique (French Martinique), and on July 30 entered the Gulf of Honduras (Spanish Golfo de Honduras), where he first had contact with representatives of the Mayan civilization.

In 1502-1503 Columbus, who dreamed of reaching the fabulous treasures of India, thoroughly explored the coast Central America and discovered more than 2 thousand km of Caribbean coastline. On June 25, 1503, off the coast of Jamaica, Columbus was wrecked and was rescued only a year later. On November 7, 1504, he returned to Castile, seriously ill and broken by the failures that had befallen him.

Tragic decline of life

This is the epic famous navigator and ended. Not finding the coveted passage to India, finding himself ill, without money and privileges, after painful negotiations with the king on the restoration of his rights that undermined his last strength, Christopher Columbus died in spanish city Valladolid (Spanish: Valladolid) May 21, 1506. His remains were transported to a monastery near Seville in 1513. Then, by the will of his son Diego, who was then the governor of Hispaniola (Spanish: La Española, Haiti), the remains of Columbus were reburied in Santo Domingo (Spanish: Santo Domingo de Guzman) in 1542; in 1795 they were transported to Cuba, and in 1898 returned to Spanish Seville (to the Cathedral of Santa Maria). DNA studies of the remains showed that with a high degree of probability they belong to Columbus.

If you think about it, Columbus died an unhappy man: he was unable to reach the shores of the fabulously rich India, but this was precisely the navigator’s secret dream. He didn’t even understand what he had discovered, and the continents that he saw for the first time received the name of another person - (Italian: Amerigo Vespucci), who simply extended the paths trodden by the great Genoese. In fact, Columbus achieved a lot, and, at the same time, achieved nothing - this is the tragedy of his life.

Curious facts

Christopher Columbus spent almost ³⁄4 of his life on voyages;
The last words spoken by the navigator before his death were the following: Into your hands, Lord, I entrust my spirit...;
After all these discoveries, the world entered the Age of Great Discoveries. In poor, hungry Europe, constantly fighting for resources, the discoveries of the famous discoverer gave an influx of a huge number gold and silver - the center of civilization moved there from the East and Europe began to develop rapidly;
How difficult it was for Columbus to organize the first expedition, how easy it was later for all countries to rush to send their ships to long voyages- this is the main historical merit of the great navigator, who gave a powerful impetus to the study and change of the world!
The name of Christopher Columbus remains forever inscribed in the history and geography of all continents and most countries of the world. In addition to cities, streets, squares, numerous monuments and even an asteroid, named after the famous navigator, highest mountain in, federal district and river in the USA, provinces in Canada and Panama, one of the departments in Honduras, countless mountains, rivers, waterfalls, parks and many other geographical objects.

What is E Ink Card?

E Ink Card - latest development E Ink company. This is a display made using e-paper technology. Reading from such a screen is as comfortable as reading from a regular paper page. Compared to the displays of the previous series, it has a lighter background and higher contrast.

E Ink Card Screen

The latest generation 6" E Ink Carta screen has a lighter backing and higher contrast than other screens in its class. It allows you to read in bright sunlight and has a high redraw speed. The absence of flickering backlight and the principle of image formation using the “electronic ink” method make reading comfortable for the eyes.

Screen backlight

MOON Light technology allows you to use the device in the dark or poor lighting conditions, without harm to your eyesight. When using this function, a soft glow of the screen is created, optimal for dark rooms.

What is MOON Light?

MOON Light system (“ Moonlight") uses a reflective method of light distribution. The light guide layer is located above the display. Light travels along this layer, is reflected towards the screen, is absorbed by the dark elements of the image and reflected from the light ones, then enters the eyes. The light in this case feels similar to reflected light from external source. This backlight is much more comfortable to read than the backlight of LCD displays.

Format support

BOOX software allows you to open files in many different text and image formats. When reading, you can change the font style and size, page layout, as well as bookmarks and arbitrarily scale documents.

Built-in dictionaries

Columbus 2 comes pre-installed with English-Russian and Russian-English dictionaries. To view the translation of a word, just select it in the text.

The book comes with a “smart” cover that not only provides reliable screen protection, but also automatically puts the device into sleep mode when closed.

Possibility of reprogramming

The device provides users with the ability to write their own software for the device using the capabilities of the Android 4.2 platform.

Long working time

Low power consumption of the E Ink display and a capacious battery ensure long battery life.

Language support

ONYX BOOX COLUMBUS 2 - reading device e-books, part of a series dedicated to great travelers and discoverers. The model has the latest generation E Ink Carta screen and a built-in MOON Light backlight system. Suitable for those who plan to use the device primarily for reading and do not need various additional functions. Thanks to the “smart” cover, it can become an ideal travel companion.

Display	6", E Ink Carta, 16 shades of gray, 14:1 contrast, 758 × 1024 pixels
CPU	2-core, 1 GHz
Backlight	MOON Light
RAM	512 MB
Built-in memory	8 GB
Expansion slot	For microSD/microSDHC memory cards
Wired interface	USB 2.0
Supported File Formats	Text: TXT, HTML, RTF, FB2, FB2.zip, MOBI, CHM, PDB, DOC, DOCX, PRC, EPUB Graphic: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP Others: PDF, DjVu
Battery	Lithium-ion, capacity 1700/3000 mAh
operating system	Android 4.2
Dimensions	170 × 117 × 8.7 mm
Color	Black gray
Weight	169 g
Equipment	E-book ONYX BOOX Columbus 2 User guide Case cover USB cable Power adapter 220 V Warranty card
Guarantee period	1 year

Note. Due to the fact that part of the Flash memory is occupied by system software, the memory available to the user is less than the total memory capacity of the chip.

The ONYX BOOX Columbus 2 portable tablet computer is a personal computer and belongs to the class of technically complex goods in accordance with Government Decree Russian Federation dated November 10, 2011 No. 924 Moscow “On approval of the list of technically complex goods.”

The device is designed primarily for reading e-books, but has a number of additional functions that are determined by the installed software. For example, the current firmware has a file manager, as well as other programs.
The device is freely reprogrammable at the request of the user, who can install, remove and create programs.
The device has a battery that provides long-term battery life.

User guide

System software updates

Version: 1.8.2-mc 2017-11-20_11-18 8d55b1a
MD5 checksum:
Download: software update file (214.447 MB, ZIP file)

Changes

Fixed errors in the library when creating collections.
Added display of folders in the library.
Fixed a bug with changing screensavers.
Improved work with files with long names.

Installation

Due to the transition to the new kernel 1.8.2, during the installation of the update, a warning about damage to the applications section may appear in the installation selection confirmation window. Please ignore this warning.

Go to Settings > About device > System updates >

Version: 1.8.2-mc 2017-07-31_19-32 9043885
MD5 checksum:
Download: Software update file (214.379 MB, ZIP file)

Changes

New version of the system kernel 1.8.2.
The Neo Reader program has been replaced by the Neo Reader 2 program with improved functionality and interface.
Library updated. Due to popular demand, new functions have been added (collections, reading progress, etc.) and the interface has been changed.
Changes have been made to the OReader program. Added support for fb3 format.
Also, at the request of users, new combinations have been added to the side key settings.
A number of other minor bugs have been fixed.
A number of other minor changes have been made.

Installation

Download the firmware file to your desktop PC.
Charge your device's battery to at least 50%.
Copy the zip file to the device to the root directory of the internal memory using a USB cable. Then disconnect the cable.
Connect the wall charger.
Go to Settings > About device > System updates > Check for updates in memory.
A question will arise about confirming your desire to update the system. Click "Update".
The firmware will begin. Lasts about 5 minutes.
If the system menu appears during the process, select Reboot now using the scroll buttons and confirm the selection by pressing the Power button.
Wait for the user interface to load.
Delete the firmware installation file after downloading the reader.
After flashing the firmware, it is recommended to reset the settings in the “Personal Data” section.

Columbus's second flotilla already consisted of 17 ships. The flagship is "Maria Galante" (displacement two hundred tons). According to various sources, the expedition consisted of 1500-2500 people. There were not only sailors here, but also monks, priests, civil servants, and courtiers. They brought with them horses and donkeys, cattle and pigs, grapevines, and agricultural seeds to organize a permanent colony.

During the expedition, the complete conquest of Hispaniola was carried out, and the mass extermination of the local population began. The city of Santo Domingo was founded. The most convenient sea route to the West Indies has been laid. The Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands, the islands of Puerto Rico, and Jamaica were discovered, and the southern coast of Cuba was almost completely explored. At the same time, Columbus continues to claim that he is in Western India.

Travel chronology:

§ September 25, 1493 - the expedition left Cadiz. On Canary Islands They took sugar cane and dogs specially trained to hunt people. The course lay about 10° south than the first time. Later, all ships from Europe to “Western India” began to use this route.
§ With a successful tailwind, the journey took only 20 days, and already on November 3, 1493, an island was discovered from the Malykh ridge Antilles, named Dominica.
§ November 4 - the expedition arrived at the largest of the local islands, called Guadeloupe. On open islands There lived the Caribs, who carried out raids on the islands of peaceful Arawaks in large canoes. Their weapons were bows and arrows with tips made from fragments of turtle shells or jagged fish bones.
§ November 11 - the islands of Montserrat, Antigua, Nevis are opened.
§ November 13 - the first armed clash with the Caribbean took place near the island of Santa Cruz.
§ November 15 - an archipelago is discovered north of Santa Cruz, which Columbus called the "Islands of the Eleven Thousand Virgins" - now they are called Virgin Islands. Having bypassed the archipelago on both sides, the vessels of the flotilla united three days later at the western end of the ridge.
§ November 19 - the Spaniards landed on the west bank big island, which Columbus named San Juan Bautista. Since the 16th century it has been called Puerto Rico.
§ November 27 - the flotilla approached what was built during the first expedition to the island. Haiti to Fort La Navidad, but on the shore the Spaniards found only traces of fire and corpses.
§ January 1494 - a city was built east of the burned fort, La Isabella in honor of Queen Isabella. Many Spaniards were struck down by a yellow fever epidemic. A detachment sent to explore the interior of the country found gold in river sand in the mountainous region of Cordillera Central.
§ March 1494 - Columbus made a trip into the island. Meanwhile, in La Isabela, due to the heat, most of the food supplies spoiled, and Columbus decided to leave only 5 ships and about 500 people on the island, and send the rest to Spain. With them, he told the king and queen that he had found rich deposits of gold, and asked to send cattle, food supplies and agricultural tools, offering to pay for them with slaves from among the local residents.
§ April 24, 1494 - leaving a garrison in La Isabela under the command of his younger brother Diego, Columbus led three small ships west along the southeastern coast of Cuba.
§ May 1 - a narrow and deep bay was discovered ( modern city with Guantanamo Bay). Further to the west are the Sierra Maestra mountains. From here Columbus turned south.
§ May 5 - the island of Jamaica is discovered (Columbus named it Santiago).
§ May 14 - walking along northern shore Jamaica and not finding gold, Columbus returned to Cuba. For the next 25 days, the ships moved through small islands along the southern coast of the island.
§ June 12 - having traveled almost 1,700 km along the southern coast of Cuba and only 100 km short of the western tip of the island, Columbus decided to turn around because the sea had become very shallow, the sailors were dissatisfied, and provisions were running out. Before this, in order to protect himself from accusations of cowardice that could follow in Spain, he demanded that the entire crew swear an oath that Cuba was part of the continent, and therefore there was no point in sailing further. Turning back, the flotilla discovered the island of Evangelista (later called Pinos and, since 1979, Juventud).
§ June 25 - September 29 - on the way back we went around Jamaica from the west and south, walked along the southern coast of Hispaniola and returned to La Isabella. By this time, Columbus was already quite seriously ill.
§ Over the past five months, Columbus's second brother, Bartolome, brought three ships from Spain with troops and supplies. A group of Spaniards captured them and fled home. The rest scattered around the island, robbing and raping the natives. They resisted and killed some of the Spaniards. After his return, Christopher was ill for five months, and when he recovered, in March 1495 he organized the conquest of Hispaniola with a detachment of two hundred soldiers. The natives were almost unarmed, and Columbus used cavalry and specially trained dogs brought with him against them. After nine months of this persecution, the island was conquered. The Indians were subject to tribute and enslaved in gold mines and plantations. The Indians fled from villages to the mountains, dying from unknown diseases brought by colonists from Europe. Meanwhile, the colonists moved to South coast islands where in 1496 Bartolome Columbus founded the city of Santo Domingo - future center Hispaniola, and later the capital of the Dominican Republic.
§ Meanwhile, the Spanish royal couple, having discovered that the income from Hispaniola (a little gold, copper, valuable wood and several hundred slaves sent to Spain by Columbus) was insignificant, allowed all Castilian subjects to move to new lands, paying the treasury in gold.
§ April 10, 1495 - The Spanish government broke off relations with Columbus, and Amerigo Vespucci acquired the right to supply India until May 1498. January 12, 1496 Vespucci receives 10,000 maravedis from the treasurer Pinelo for payment wages sailors. In fact, he concluded a contract to supply one (if not two) expeditions in India in Andalusia, in particular the third expedition of Columbus. The success of Columbus's enterprise inspired Amerigo to leave the trading business in order to get acquainted with the newly discovered part of the world.
§ On June 11, 1496, Christopher Columbus returned to Spain to defend the rights previously granted to him. He provided a document according to which he actually reached the Asian continent, stated that in the center of Hispaniola he discovered the wonderful country of Ophir, where gold was once mined for the biblical king Solomon. In addition, Columbus proposed sending not free settlers to new lands, but criminals, cutting their sentences in half.

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