Columbus' discoveries both glorious, tragic

By Miguel Encinias
For the Journal
America was occupied for several millennia by its first inhabitants, but except for a few stragglers it remained virtually unknown to the rest of the world.
With advancements in ocean travel and the final conquest of the Moors at Granada, Spain, the stage was set for the continent's disclosure all over the globe.
In 1492, after Isabel and Fernando had united their kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, the Iberian peninsula, with the exception of Portugal, was on the threshold of becoming Spain and acquiring an empire.
The queen did not have any idea -- any more than Columbus -- exactly what the explorer would find, but she was ready to discuss seriously his plans for a trip to the great unknown.
She made certain, however, that he understood perfectly that all the people he might encounter would be considered subjects of the crown and treated as such.
He set sail with his three minuscule caravels on Aug. 3, 1492.
On Oct. 12, as desperation was setting in, sailor Rodrigo de Triana cried out "¡Tierra!" (land) as he sighted one of the islands of the Bahamas, which soon was gratefully given the name of San Salvador (Holy Savior).
From there, the small fleet headed south, and came upon modern-day Cuba, then continued east to an island they would christen Española, now called Hispaniola.
Since the natives were friendly, the captain left some of his crew in a fort constructed from parts of the disabled ship Santa Maria, and headed back to Spain on Dec. 12th.
Although he did not take back any evidence of riches, he did present the queen with six natives. Her curiosity was aroused, and she authorized a 17-ship fleet of 1,500 men, which embarked on Sept. 23, 1493. After spending some time in the Leeward Islands, the admiral hurried on, anxious to see how the men he left behind at Española had fared.
On arrival there he found the decomposed bodies of his men. The little colony had been annihilated by a Carib cacique named Caonabo.
The chief had organized a large force and overwhelmed the few starved Spaniards on the island.
Columbus led 200 men to the interior to search for the attackers, defeated them and captured their fierce leader. He jailed him and was taking him to Spain, but Caonabo died on the high seas.
On Columbus' third trip, which left Spain May 30, 1498, he placed a large contingent in Española and traveled on to be the first European to set foot in Central America.
When he returned, he found the colony quarreling and divided.
He settled what threatened to become a rebellion by conceding to the settlers lands and Indians to work them. This led to the torture and killing of deserting Indians, reported by the friar Las Casas.
Las Casas became the first of many whose reports of atrocities ultimately led to the Laws of the Indies, which were intended to protect natives from abuse but which also led to the Black Legend propagated by the British.
Isabela sent Francisco de Bobadilla to investigate. Bobadilla sent Columbus and his brother, Diego, back in chains.
The queen set Columbus free, and permitted him one more expedition purely of discovery. Columbus was prohibited from setting foot on Española. Meanwhile, Nicolas de Ovando was sent as governor with strict instructions to convert the natives and to avoid mistreating them.
Columbus set sail in March of 1502. He became the first European to set foot on the Isthmus of Panama. Shortly after his return to Spain in 1501, the queen died, leaving him without a protector.
In 1506 Columbus died virtually forgotten.