This volume represents a critical historical record compiled and edited by Martín Fernández de Navarrete, a renowned Spanish naval officer and historian of the 19th century. The work brings together various official and previously unpublished primary source documents detailing the foundational period of Spain's transatlantic empire, focusing on maritime expansion beginning in the late 15th century. Volume II is specifically dedicated to the pivotal figure of Christopher Columbus, containing key administrative papers, royal decrees, and correspondence between Columbus and the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. These records illuminate the early planning, financing, and political agreements, such as the Capitulaciones de Santa Fe, which authorized the first voyage and outlined the division of spoils and titles of office. The collection also details the initial attempts at establishing permanent Spanish settlements in the Americas and the subsequent governance challenges. As a non-governmental publication of primary sources, the collection is a cornerstone for scholars studying the history of the Castilian Navy, the mechanisms of Spanish colonial governance in the Indies, and the complex relationship between the Crown and the discoverers. The 20th-century reprint affirms the enduring significance of these documents as essential material for researchers of Spanish and Latin American history.
Coleccion de los viages y descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los españoles desde fines del siglo XV: Tomo II (Documentos de Colon y de las primeras poblaciones)