Document 16-3: THEODORE DE BRY, Columbus at Hispaniola (ca. 1590)

Spanish Ambitions in the New World

In his letters to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Columbus told his side of the story, describing his voyages in ways that were meant both to please his patrons and to emphasize his personal accomplishments. His was not the last word, however. In the decades following Columbus’s death, the motives behind his expeditions and the subsequent Spanish colonization of the Americas became matters of considerable debate. For example, this late-sixteenth-century engraving by the Protestant artist and engraver Theodore de Bry contains all of the motives mentioned by Columbus (see Document 16-2) but presents them in a way that offers an implicit rebuke to the Genoese explorer. As you examine it, think about its intended message. What did the artist see as the primary motives behind Spanish exploration and colonization? How did he want his viewers to feel about the scenes he included in this engraving?

image
Private Collection/Bridgeman Images.

READING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Which motive did de Bry portray as most important? How did he indicate this?
  2. What importance should we attach to the fact that the cross on the left is being erected by a small group of soldiers? What does the scene tell us about de Bry’s views on Spanish missionary work in the Americas?
  3. What should we make of the Native Americans fleeing the Spanish ships on the right side of the engraving? What are they afraid of? Did de Bry believe their fears were justified?