Glencoe World History © 2010

Chapter 13: The Age of Exploration

Student Web Activity Lesson Plans

The Mission of Columbus

Introduction

The voyages of Columbus led to the "discovery" of new lands and peoples. In a letter Columbus wrote to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, he describes how he believes the Island of Espanola should be administered. In this activity students will read the letter and one of the journal entries from Columbus's voyage. Through these documents, students can learn a great deal about Columbus's time, his worldview, and the various motives for his voyages.

Lesson Description
Students will go to a Web site that contains Christopher Columbus’s letter to Queen Isabella of Spain concerning his thoughts about the Island of Espanola. Students will read the letter and answer four questions about what they have read. Students will then read one of Columbus’s journal entries to learn about his encounters with peoples of the Caribbean.

Instructional Objectives

1. The learner will be able to interpret historical documents and to put them in historical context.


2. The learner will be able to recognize subjective viewpoints in journals.

Student Web Activity Answers

1. The main purpose of Columbus's letter is to give his opinion of how the colonization of, and commerce on, the Island of Espanola should be carried out.



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3. Much of Columbus's letter discusses gold, which was plentiful on the island and a source of wealth for the king and queen.



4. Columbus envisions using "one per centum of all the gold that may be found" to build churches and support the priests and friars of these churches.



5. Students' answers should mention the Admiral's feeling that the native peoples have no religion, are smart, would make good servants, and would be easy to convert. Students' responses will vary on the second question.