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Secondary sourceBook1892 edition

The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, Vol. II

Washington Irving · 1892 edition

A 19th-century biography of Christopher Columbus written by American author Washington Irving.

A widely-read later biography that shaped popular images of Columbus for generations of readers.

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About this source

What it is

This is the second volume of a biography of Christopher Columbus written by American author Washington Irving, covering his later voyages and administration in the Americas. It was published as part of a 19th-century edition, long after Columbus's lifetime.

Why it matters

Irving's biography became one of the most influential and widely read accounts of Columbus, shaping how generations of readers imagined him as a heroic explorer. Because it was written centuries after Columbus lived, it reflects the attitudes and interests of Irving's own time as much as historical fact, making it a useful example of how history gets retold and reinterpreted.

Look closer

  • Why might a writer in the 1800s have been interested in telling Columbus's story?
  • How might Irving's own time period have shaped the way he described Columbus?
  • What is the difference between reading a biography like this and reading Columbus's own letters?

This book 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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