Although the first voyage of Christopher Columbus, 1492-1493, was meant purely as an enterprise to gain land and wealth, the second voyage begun to add the ability of bringing Christendom to the inhabitants of the new found lands. The intent of adding the need to move inhabitants to Christianity was based on gaining favor from Rome and the pope. This change of demeanor from enterprise to faith teaching could be seen through Alexander VI’s Papal Bull “Piis Fidelium” of 1493 which directed the voyaging Franciscan monk Bernado Buil and his charges to begin converting the local inhabitants to Christianity.
…so that you might preach and sow the word of God there by yourself and through other secular or religious priests suited to the purpose and to be deputed by you, and that you should lead the natives and inhabitants of the said islands and lands, who do not have a knowledge of our faith, to that faith and the Christian religion, and that you should teach and instruct them to walk in the mandates of the Lord. 1
The following third and fourth voyages brought religion to the forefront as a primary reason for the voyage as seen in the instructions from the Spanish Crown to Columbus, 1497, for his third voyage.
When, God willing, you are in the Indies you shall endeavor with all diligence to encourage and lead natives of the Indies to serve us and remain benignly under our sovereignty and subjection in peace and order, and especially to convert them to our holy Catholic faith. 2
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella promised before the first voyage, that if Christopher Columbus succeeded he would be given the rank of Admiral of the Ocean Sea and appointed Viceroy and Governor of all the new lands he could claim for Spain. He would also be entitled to 10% of all the revenues from the new lands and the option of buying one-eighth interest in any commercial venture with the new lands and receive one-eighth of the profits. This was promise was documented in “Capitulations of Santa Fe.” 3
End Notes
1. Alexander VI Papal Bull "Piis Fidelium", Rome, June 25, 1493, in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, Document 24, Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan. (Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005), 145.
2. Instructions of Frenando and Isabel to Columbus for Colonization of the Indies, Burgos, April 23, 1497, in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, Document 17, Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan. (Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005), 102-103.
3. Fernando and Isabel to Columbus "Santa Fe Capitulations", Santa Fe, April 17, 1492, in Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents, Document 10, Geoffrey Symcox and Blair Sullivan. (Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005), 60-62.
