With financial support from Queen Isabella of Castile, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 in search of a new sea route to China. Trade had been disrupted due to Muslim conquests along the traditional Mediterranean route, and Columbus was searching for an alternate route. The following letter was written six months after Columbus landed in the Caribbean. It was intended for a wide audience and was one of the most widely printed documents from the voyages of discovery.

Knowing that it will afford you pleasure to learn that I have brought my undertaking to a successful termination, I have decided upon writing you this letter to acquaint you with all the events which have occurred in my voyage, and the discoveries which have resulted from it. Thirty-three days after my departure from Cadiz I reached the Indian Sea...