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Primary sourceDiary entry3 August 1492 – 15 March 1493

Christopher Columbus' Journal

Christopher Columbus · 3 August 1492 – 15 March 1493

The surviving abstract of Columbus's log of his first voyage, recording his encounters with the Taíno and his search for gold.

Columbus's own account of his first voyage, revealing his goals and his view of the people he encountered.

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Handwritten Spanish manuscript page in brown-black ink on aged paper, showing dated diary entries from August 1492 (Friday 3, Saturday 4, Sunday, Monday 6, Tuesday 7 de agosto), written in 16th-century script. This is a copy of the abstract by Bartolomé de las Casas, not the original journal.
Copy of the abstract of Christopher Columbus's journal, made by Bartolomé de las Casas.

About this source

What it is

This is the log Columbus kept on his first voyage across the Atlantic in 1492-1493. The original is lost; what survives is an abstract made by the Dominican friar Bartolomé de las Casas, copying and quoting Columbus's words while preparing his own history of the Indies. The copy shown here holds dated entries from August 1492.

Why it matters

The journal is one of the earliest European descriptions of the Caribbean and its Taíno inhabitants, written by the man who led the expedition for the Spanish crown. It shows Columbus's own impressions, his hopes of finding gold, and his plans to convert and control the people he met, giving historians insight into the mindset behind the beginning of colonization.

Look closer

  • Why might Las Casas, not Columbus, be the one whose handwriting we actually see?
  • What words does Columbus use to describe the people he meets, and what do they suggest about his intentions?
  • What might be missing or changed because this is a copy of a copy, not the original?

This diary entry is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Christopher Columbus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Christopher Columbus · 15 February 1493

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Treaty of Tordesillas

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