Select Letters of Christopher Columbus

What it is

This is a translated and edited collection of letters written by Christopher Columbus between 1493 and 1503, published by the Hakluyt Society in 1847 with translation and editing by R. H. Major of the British Museum. The volume brings together seven key original documents relating to Columbus's four voyages to the New World.

Why it matters

Columbus addressed these letters to the Spanish sovereigns, Isabella and Ferdinand, who had financed his voyages. They are primary evidence of how Columbus reported his discoveries directly to the rulers who sponsored him, and show the close relationship between royal funding and the European exploration of the Americas.

Look closer

• Why would Columbus write directly to Isabella and Ferdinand rather than to someone else?
• What might Columbus have wanted the sovereigns to believe about his voyages, and why?
• What does this translation add or change compared to Columbus's original words?