Letter from Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) to Luis de Santángel (d. 1498)

Christopher Columbus first detailed his initial voyage to the Americas in this long letter to Luis de Santángel, Treasurer of Aragon, who funded much of the voyage. Here, Columbus provides a brief account of the lands and peoples that he encountered, enjoining the Spanish court to fund a subsequent return expedition and envisioning major aspects of colonialism that would emerge in the coming centuries. 



Upon receiving the letter in Barcelona in late March 1493, Santángel arranged to have it printed not only as a public announcement of Columbus’s achievement, but also as a propaganda piece to further publicize and strengthen Spanish territorial claims. At least several hundred copies of the letter were issued, but only the present example is known to survive. Its publication marked the beginning of tragic consequences for many ancient civilizations in this continent.