JOURNAL WRITING
GRADE LEVEL: Any
INTRODUCTION:
Columbus kept a complete journal of his expeditions. This is
probably one of the reasons, 500 years later, we celebrate his
findings. Columbus documented his explorations and his journeys
had such vast consequences that he is credited with the discovery
even though he was not the first outsider to reach the Western
Hemisphere.
Students will use events from the life, times, and voyages of
Columbus to create a journal which could have expressed the
thoughts and ideas of Columbus.
PREPARATION:
Review the time-line of events. Brainstorm possible
perspectives and viewpoints which could be expressed in a journal
of Columbus.
PROCEDURE:
1. Distribute and discuss time-line.
2. Brainstorm possible views Columbus might express.
3. Begin journal writing. Students should include entries
for 30 out of the 61 suggestions found on the time-line.
4. Select one of the events marked with the * and write a
journal entry from the perspective of someone involved in the
event other than Columbus.
TIME-LINE FOR JOURNAL ENTRIES
1. 25 MAY 1474--Columbus' first long voyage to the beautiful
island of Chios. Chios was the gateway to the Orient, a
magnificent city bustling with trade.
2. 13 AUGUST 1476--Columbus sails with a commercial expedition
into the Atlantic. They are attacked by a squadron of French
corsairs. Three of the five ships are lost and many men died.
Columbus was saved by fisherman from Portugal.
3. LATE SPRING OR EARLY FALL 1479--Columbus marries Felipa Moniz
Perestrello.
4. LATE 1483 OR EARLY 1484--Columbus presents his plan of
reaching the Orient by sailing west to King John II of Portugal.
His plan is refused.
5. 1485--Columbus' wife is dead. His son, Diego, (now four or
five) is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Huelva.
6. 20 January 1486--Columbus proposes his voyage to Queen
Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain. Although curious about his
proposal, they did not believe Columbus.
7. August 1488--Columbus's son, Ferdinand is born out of wedlock.
(Mother of the child is Beatriz Enriquez de Arana.)
8. Summer of 1489--Queen Isabella contacts Columbus. Her husband
is fighting in Granada. The queen has "positive hopes that, when
the business of Granada was settled" they be willing to arrange
for expenses for Columbus's project.
9. 2 January 1492--The war is over. A special council is formed
to advise the king and queen about Columbus' proposal. Again, the
answer is negative.
10. 23 May 1492--Financing is obtained. A royal proclamation
is read naming Christopher Columbus as the commander of the three
ships which made the famous voyage.
11. 3 August 1492--The three ships set sail from Palos between
five and six in the morning. They are headed for the Canaries to
begin their departure across the Ocean.
12. 6 September 1492--Provisions are stocked (water, meat, and
wood). After a church service, the voyage across the Atlantic
begins.
13. 17 September 1492--Columbus and his sailors note the
deviation of the compass needle to the left.
14. 7 October 1492--Birds are spotted. Perhaps land is near!
15. 11 October 1492--Columbus claims to see light in the darkness
of the night. He calls it to the attention of Pedro Gutierrez who
also sees the light.
16. 12 October 1492--At 2:00 A.M. Juan Rodriguez Bermejo,
standing on the Pinta, observes a mass of rocks. This coral
island is later named San Salvador.
17. 12 October 1492--Columbus "took possession of the island for
the king and the queen." He observes the Indians for the first
time.
18. 14 October 1492--Columbus departs to the south in search of
gold. He finds parrots and spices, but not the gold he had hoped
for.
19. 28 October 1492--Columbus drops anchor in Cuba.
*20. 19 November 1492--Against the wishes of Columbus, Martin
Alonso Pinzon leaves in the Pinta in search of gold. He goes to
Babeque, then lands on the northern coast of Haiti, where he knew
the Admiral was headed.
21. 6 December 1492--The Santa Maria and the Nina enter a harbor
that Columbus named San Nicolas on the island of Hispaniola. The
port resembled Spain. Corn was discovered here.
22. 24 December 1492--The Santa Maria runs into a coral reef.
Columbus is shipwrecked.
23. 25 December 1492--Columbus and his crew spend Christmas
transferring crew and cargo to the Nina.
*24. 4 January 1493--Columbus leaves 39 men and all the
provisions which had been on the Santa Maria to establish a
settlement named La Navidad.
25. 14 February 1493--A major storm makes traveling hazardous as
Columbus is beginning his way home.
26. 8 March 1493--King John II of Portugal receives Columbus.
Columbus reports on his expedition.
27. 15 March 1493--The Nina arrives in Palos. The town
celebrates by closing businesses, ringing bells, and congregating
in the church.
28. 15 March 1493 (later in the afternoon)--The Pinta arrives.
29. 7 April 1493--Columbus receives a letter from the King and
Queen which bestowed him the titles "Admiral of the Ocean Sea,
Viceroy and Governor of the islands which he discovered in the
Indies."
30. 25 September 1493--Embarkation of the second voyage with a
fleet of seventeen vessels.
31. 2 November 1493--The crossing is completed.
32. 3-20 November 1493--The voyagers discover the lesser
Antilles (from Dominica to Puerto Rico). Columbus contacts the
Caribs, a group of cannibals.
*33. 28 November 1493--Columbus reaches La Navidad and learns
that all 39 colonists are dead, their houses and fort burned.
34. 7 December 1493--Columbus departs La Navidad.
35. 2 January 1494--La Isabela was founded. This is the new
colony of Columbus named after the Queen. Columbus names his
brother Bartholomew as governor and his brother Diego as
lieutenant governor.
36. 24 April to 29 September 1494--Columbus explores Cuba.
*37. 28 September 1494--Columbus returns to La Isabela. The
colony is struggling with discontent, disease, and conflict with
the Indians.
38. 17 February 1495--Four vessels depart for Spain carrying
Indian slaves.
39. 27 March 1495--A large battle between the Europeans and
Native Americans begins.
40. 10 March 1496--Columbus concludes his second voyage and
heads back to Spain. Upon his return, Columbus will have to
defend his actions amid the criticism of those who left the Indies
and returned earlier to their homeland.
41. 11 June 1496--Columbus returns home. His reception is much
colder than the pageantry which accompanied his first return.
42. 30 May 1498--The third voyage begins. Columbus is beginning
to have health problems.
43. August 1498--The mainland of South America is reached.
44. 31 August 1498--The three ships arrive in Santo Domingo, the
center of the colony on Hispaniola. The colonists are split in
two factions. Bartholomew's group governed the central and
southern parts of Hispaniola. The rebel group, led by Francisco
Roldan, held the west.
*45. 23 August 1500--Due to the negative reports drifting back to
the king and queen, they decide to send an investigator, Francisco
de Bobadilla to punish the trouble- makers of the rebellion and to
take control of the island from Columbus.
46. 25 November 1500--Columbus and his three brothers are
returned in chains to Cadiz as a result of the investigations of
Bobadilla.
*47. 17 December 1500--Columbus and his two brothers are
presented to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. The royalty
apologizes for the humiliation Columbus has experienced, and claim
the intent of their instructions had not been followed. Bobadilla
was recalled, but Columbus is not given back his rights,
privileges, and offices in the colony he discovered.
48. 14 March 1502--Columbus is given approval for his fourth
voyage. To avoid further trouble, the monarchs forbid Columbus
to land in Hispaniola on the outward leg of the voyage. If it was
absolutely necessary, Columbus could land in Hispaniola on his
return.
49. 9 May 1502--The fourth voyage begins. The young son of
Columbus, Ferdinand, and Columbus' brother Bartholomew accompany a
fleet of four caravels and 150 men.
50. 15 June 1502--The excursion arrives in St. Lucia in the
Lesser Antilles.
*51. 29 June 1502--Columbus gives an order for his ship to stop
outside of Santo Domingo. He sent one of his crew ashore. He was
told NOT to step foot on the land. Columbus was outraged.
52. July 1502--The four ships survive a hurricane, taking refuge
along the coast.
53. 31 July 1502--Columbus lands in the Guanaja Island in the
Gulf of Honduras. Because the Admiral was not feeling well, he
did not go ashore. Instead, his brother Bartholomew went inland.
54. August 1502--Columbus reaches the North American mainland.
55. August and September 1502--The fleet must contend with a
series of violent storms.
56. October 1502--The Spaniards find gold in Veragua (near
Panama). Columbus chooses Belen as the site for a new colony,
because of the access of gold.
57. February 1503--Bartholomew and 59 men go into the country.
They discover coca.
58. 6 April 1503--The Indians attack the colony.
*59. 25 June 1503 to 28 June 1504--The ships land in Santa Gloria
(today St. Ann's Bay) Columbus spends a year here. Columbus
sends Diego Mendez for help. The Governor of Hispaniola is not
saddened to find Columbus is shipwrecked and does not hurry to
send aid. A mutiny occurs on the colony while waiting for help.
60. 28 June 1504--Columbus sails for Santo Domingo.
61. 7 November 1504--Columbus ends his fourth and final
expedition.
Columbus dies on 20 May 1506.
CLOSURE:
Students should select one of the time-line events marked
with a * and write a journal entry from the perspective of someone
involved in the event other than Columbus. Read the entries of
other students completing this activity.