The New World: discovery and settlementViewed in hindsight, the ‘discovery’ of America was an event of global significance. At the time, however, it was considered as the least of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella’s achievements. By the end of their reign little had been found apart from a small amount of gold and the natives who lived there.

Columbus’s early attempts to gain support for a voyage westSpanish involvement in the New World had started with the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 during the Renaissance – a time of new ideas and discoveries in Europe. People were making maps of new lands and they were building ships to explore places they had never visited before. Columbus learned how to sail a wooden ship with sails when he was a boy. He learned about the winds and tides and how to navigate (find the way), by looking at the Sun and stars. Columbus first went to sea as a teenager and went on to become a master navigator and admiral. Sailing to such places as Iceland, Ireland and down the coast of Africa, eventually settling in Portugal. In his 30s, Columbus started trying to get support for a transatlantic voyage to China but he in order to pay for his voyage, and to gain the fame and power he desired, Columbus needed to find support from the royal court of a European country. In 1483, Columbus approached the royal court of Portugal and presented his idea to King John II. King John rejected Columbus, having discussed with other explorers and mariners who claimed that the idea was unthinkable and unrealistic.

Rejected by the major seafaring nation of the time, Portugal, and then by France and England, Columbus had turned to Spain in 1486 in an effort to persuade Queen Isabella to support him in his voyage across the Atlantic to the East

Indies. Ferdinand and Isabella were still involved in the war in Granada and his first attempt to convince them of his intended journey left them with many questions. As a result their advisers were unconvinced about the voyage. There was also the question of costs. In addition, Columbus was asking for too much in the form of titles, positions and privileges. However, he did spark the monarchs’ interest and so they did not, reject his proposal outright. Queen Isabella was quite impressed with Columbus and his presentation and so agreed to give him a small allowance of money. Columbus continued to work to build up further sponsorship for his voyage. After defeating the Muslims in the Re-conquest of Granada, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella even more strongly desired a chance to catch up with the power and influence of their Portuguese neighbours, and Columbus’s plan—if it succeeded—offered this chance. They soon agreed to fully finance and support his voyage. After many years at many courts, Christopher Columbus had finally convinced a country to support his journey across the Atlantic. Columbus’s journey did not come cheap, however. He demanded lofty payments for his services. Columbus asked for one-tenth of all the wealth (gold, spices, textiles, slaves, etc.) Spain would receive from the lands which he visited. He asked that he receive this money for all trips made by Spain to the new lands, for all time. He wanted to secure a financial gain not only for himself, but for his heirs as well. On top of this he requested that he be named “Viceroy” of the lands he discovered and “Admiral of the Ocean Seas.” After much negotiation the king and in particular the queen consented. In April 1492 Columbus signed the contract with the King and Queen of Spain guaranteeing him all that he desired, setting in motion the first steps toward the ‘New World’. Change of HeartThere were a number of reasons why Ferdinand and Isabella had had a change of heart. The war in Granada had been successfully ended and the ‘Catholic Monarchs’ could now turn to other matters, particularly those that might raise their reputation as this would enable Isabella and

Ferdinand to show that the Spanish could compete with the Portuguese on the seas. Trading reasons were also an important reason why support was given to Columbus to find a new route westwards to the East Indies (India, China, and Japan) in 1492. Travel to the East Indies had become difficult by the late 15th century. The Ottoman Empire and other Islamic states had closed the land route by which goods had travelled in the past, and their ships’ control of the open waters in the east made the sea route difficult and unsafe for Spain. Religious issues were also involved. Isabella had strong thoughts of the conversion of souls to Christ (Crusades). Lastly, cost was the final deciding factor; the financial cost of the voyage to the monarchs was low. So for the monarchs there was little to lose and, potentially much to gain.