The Second Voyage of Columbus

On his second voyage to the New World, Columbus commanded a sizable fleet of 17 ships. The expedition's primary objective was to explore and settle the new lands Columbus had discovered. Another significant goal was to Christianize any natives they encountered. On November 3rd, 1493, the expedition made its first landfall on an island that Columbus named "Dominica". However, chroniclers of the voyage suggested that the islands might not have been the paradise Columbus had described. Dr. Chanca penned a detailed letter to the municipal council of Seville about the voyage. In it, he described the Caribs, whom he referred to as "bestial". Chanca detailed that "these people raid other islands and abduct women, especially the young and beautiful ones, to keep as servants and concubines. So many were taken that in fifty houses no males were found, and among the captives, more than twenty were women."

During this voyage, Columbus explored Guadeloupe, Antigua, and Saint Croix, and also landed on Puerto Rico. Upon his return to Hispaniola, he found that all the Europeans he had left behind during his previous voyage had either died or been killed. Establishing a new settlement, Columbus scoured Hispaniola for gold and enslaved natives. He then requested additional supplies from Spain, which were sent to him. His governance of the new colony and his treatment of the natives drew widespread criticism. A royal commission was subsequently appointed to investigate the allegations against Columbus. After appointing his brother Bartolome as the governor, Columbus returned to Spain, arriving on June 11, 1496

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