Christopher Columbus First Voyage Analysis

There has been a plethora of opinions about who and when America was actually discovered that have been pondered over for several centuries by scholars and historians. History plays a significant role in providing a comprehensive understanding about our past, furthermore it also assists in dealing with current issues. For instance, in 2002 Elizabeth Kolbert wrote an article to substantiate the many questionings on Columbus and she states that the, “notion of discovery, was being reevaluated” (206). The history and the philosophy that has been taught on Christopher Columbus’s exploration of the sea that led to the discovery of America. Contrary to what has been demonstrated in the teachings about Columbus in the past, further investigation …show more content…
Columbus’s journey, which has been presented in these literary letters that he wrote to King Ferdinand in 1943 provide clarity of his locating Asia and bestowing its magnificent offerings, however they were only a misjudgment of his location when the first island that he encountered essentially was in the Bahamas. The admiral named this island “San Salvador” as a way to honor the “Divine Majesty” for providing the funding toward his great mission (Letter to King Ferdinand (1493) ). His letter exhibits the many precious riches that one of the islands contains he states, “there are many spices and great mines of gold and other metals” (Letter to King Ferdinand (1493)). Additionally, in his writings there are Indians that have already settled amongst the islands that he stumbles upon, which reflect to the reader that they have already been discovered. This letter also elaborates on the various islands that he has encountered during his travels in route to the Indies. He promotes these islands by employing an imagery of the land and all of their beautiful offerings as a persuasion mechanism much like a “trickster” seen in fictional