Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus's expedition in 1492 was only the first of four voyages that the explorer would make. In his second voyage, which lasted from 1493 to 1496, he further explored the Caribbean and tried to establish settlements in what he still thought of as the Indies. A trip in 1496 explored the north coast of South America, and the final expedition in 1502 sent Columbus to the Central American coast, still searching for the elusive strait to Asia.

After the first crossing, Columbus knew that his ability to get approval and financing for additional journeys depended upon his report. Although he found little proof that he had landed in the Indies, lost the flagship Santa Maria on a reef, and faced disloyalty and near mutiny from his crew, the first report he made in the following letter emphasized nothing but success. In it, he refers...