Prior To Conquest of Mexico
Before Hernán Cortes and his men made their way through Mexico and eventually
conquered the Aztecs, Spain had already had a significant presence throughout the
Caribbean. Beginning with the voyage of Christopher Columbus, the Spanish crown
made itself known to the native population, and Spain solidified its power and
influence in the New World. I will describe the encounters Christopher Columbus
had with some of the natives in the Caribbean, possible problems in his
accounts, and the Spanish-ruled island of Cuba.
Caribbean Sea
Christopher Columbus is seen by many as a great leader of a voyage that
discovered the New World. This image of a great voyage leader is inaccurate
because there are many instances where he lied to his crew members as to how far
they had traveled in a day. "We sailed sixteen and a half leagues. I have decided to
log less than our true run, so that if the voyage is long the crew will not be afraid
and lose heart.” 1 Whether or not one interprets this as a sign of bad leadership or
good leadership, it is important that one questions Columbus, his motives, and his
credibility through statements like this. One of the ships in Columbus's fleet, the
Pinta (a ship Columbus was not even on), made the first discovery of land. "Then
the Pina, being faster and in the lead, sighted land an made the signal as I had
ordered. The first man to sight land was called Rodrigo de Triana.” 2 This sighting
of land was significant because it gave Columbus the opportunity to gain the support
of his fellow men and ultimately the Spanish crown. After the sighting of land,
Columbus embarked onto the island with his men to encounter and unknown group
of people.
On one of the islands that Columbus
explored, he tried to gain support for
the Spanish crown by distributing gifts
to the natives. "That was my purpose
in giving him presents and letting him
go: to make them think well of us, so
that when Your Majesties send
someone else here he may be well
received.” 3 This shows that Columbus
was not interested in helping out the
native population, but rather he wanted
to ensure a good reputation for the
Spanish crown and people who
represented or acted on behalf of the
Spanish crown.
A problem with Columbus's account comes when he attempts to, or says he attempts
to, communicate with the natives on one of the islands. He says that he
communicated with the natives by signs. "I set sail, then, at about ten o'clock with
the wind se, veering southerly, to cross to this other island. It is very large, and all
the men from San Salvador tell me by signs that there is a lot of gold, which the
people wear as bracelets and legbands, and in their ears and noses, and round their
necks.” 4 The problem with this statement is that it was impossible for Columbus to
communicate by signs because he and the natives used different signs which had
been constructed by their respective societies. Because of their limited time
together, we must question whether or not Columbus was actually able to
communicate with the natives by means of signs.
After Columbus had made his way through the Caribbean, the Spaniards made
permanent settlements, one of the most important of which was Cuba. Hernán
Cortes and his men set out from there on his journey, even though there was some
opposition from Diego Velazquez. "And when the above-mentioned fleet was ready
Your Royal Highnesses' captain Fernando Cortes left the island of Fernandina with
ten caravels and four hundred soldiers.” 5 This set the stage for the Spanish conquest
of Mexico.
Notes 1. John Cummins, The Voyage of Christopher Columbus (New York: St. Martin's
Press, 1992), p. 85.
2. John Cummins, The Voyage of Christopher Columbus (New York: St. Martin's
Press, 1992), p. 93.
3. John Cummins, The Voyage of Christopher Columbus (New York: St. Martin's
Press, 1992), p. 98.
4. John Cummins, The Voyage of Christopher Columbus (New York: St. Martin's
Press, 1992), p. 98.
5. Hernan Cortes, Letters From Mexico (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986).
p. 11.