The Letter to Santangel by Christopher Columbus Essay

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From Spain and Portugal's viewpoint, these published writings were exactly what the Royal Highness' desired to have promulgated. In the letter, Columbus hints that the “innumerable” souls to be conquered from the trip to these islands were to be used only for the service of the Catholic Church: “but they [the natives] all understand each other, which is a thing of singular advantage for what I hope their Highnesses will decide upon for converting them to our holy faith”. Earlier in the letter he explains his overflowing “affection” to the natives upon his first arrival, but the proselytizing is quite clear: “I gave gratuitously a thousand useful things that I carried, in order that they may conceive affection, and furthermore may become Christians.” The opportunity for additional converts to the Catholic Church would have undoubtedly pleased the Pope. Interestingly enough, the encouragement of this letter to reap souls like a harvest ultimately permitted Pope Alexander VI to extend a Papal Bull relinquishing Spanish Rights to the conquered area. Conquering in the name of Christianity was not uncommon in Columbus' day. In fact, it was probably one of the most common excuses for plundering- “The conversion of those called heathens and infidels served more often than not as a means to a more selfish end- from building empires to acquiring new resources and markets.” Ultimately,
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