From Admiral Of The Sea, To Woe Is Me. Two Letters From Christopher Columbus

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by Christopher Gile, 5-25-2009 The span of Christopher Columbus’s sea-faring career to the New World lasted roughly ten years. It began as exploration, sailing west to reach the East, trailblazing a trade route to Asia for the Spanish crown. By his fourth and final voyage the king and queen made it clear that the sole purpose was to seek out gold, silver, precious stones, spices, and other riches, and that his exploration days were finished. (http://columbusday.123 holiday.net). In between the two landmark crossings, Columbus’s life devolved from prosperous to one of abject failure; from enthusiastic to despondent; from commanding to groveling. Fortunately, throughout his life, he was an avid writer, and his surviving correspondence provides us today with a distinct, first-person view of his fascinating escapades. By comparing a letter from the auspicious beginnings of his adventures to letter from the sad closing stages of his life, one can recognize the changes Columbus was experiencing by examining the stark differences in the tone and content of his writing. With his tendency towards the dramatic the duality of the letters and his personal circumstances is vividly apparent. A letter that represents the fortuitous beginnings of his life was written by Columbus to Luis de Santangel, a court official and financier of the first voyage (Norton Anthology, P 25, and FN1). In 1493, while at sea, Columbus wrote, “You will be pleased at the great victory with which Our Lord has crowned my voyage…” (Columbus, February 15, 1493, p.25) His discourse regarding the first voyage continues, “I have found many islands filled with people innumerable and of them all I have taken possession for their highnesses…” (Columbus, February 15, 1493, p.25) The fervent tone of his words is obvious. He is filled with pride for accomplishing the goal he had so ardently sought

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