Privileges and Prerogatives Granted by Their Catholic Majesties to Christopher Columbus

The Privileges and Prerogatives Granted by Their Catholic Majesties to Christopher Columbus was a document issued by the Spanish monarchy to Christopher Columbus in 1492, granting him titles and privileges in connection with his exploration and conquest of the New World. Columbus (1451–1506) was an Italian sailor and navigator who had taken part in voyages on the Mediterranean Sea and along the Atlantic European coast, possibly as far as the Irish coast. His activities aligned with the European quest to find an easy sea route to Asia. The ultimate aim was to have direct access to Asian markets and be able to import spices, silk, and other commodities without the need to cross Turkish-held lands or rely on Arab middlemen.

The Portuguese, especially under Prince Henry the Navigator and King John II, surveyed the shores of Africa, seeking a way around the African continent. Later, in 1488, the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias would discover the Cape of Good Hope, giving Europeans hope that Asia could be reached by an eastern route. Columbus studied geography and cartography and took into account the suggestions of such contemporary scholars as Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli. As early as 1474, Toscanelli had drawn up a map detailing a route westward to the Spice Islands and Asia. On the basis of his own research, Columbus concluded that traveling westward was not only possible but also simpler and shorter. In making his calculations, though, he had no idea that the westward route was far longer than he anticipated and that another continent lay between Europe and Asia.

In 1485 Columbus presented his plans for an exploratory expedition to John II of Portugal, but his plan was rejected. At the same time he sought support in the Italian cities of Genoa and Venice and at the English court of Henry VII. The Italian cities did not respond, and, according to some scholars, the English monarch was too slow in answering. In 1486 Columbus finally received backing and permission from the Catholic monarchs of Spain—Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. The Spanish monarchs had doubts about the ultimate success of the expedition as well, but seeking to tie Columbus to their court, they finally gave him their consent and an allowance. In 1489 he was allowed to start organizing his expedition, and all Spanish towns were to grant him food and lodging at no expense. On April 30, 1492, they issued the Privileges and Prerogatives Granted by Their Catholic Majesties to Christopher Columbus, and on August 3 Columbus set sail to the west with three small ships.