Question:
The letters of Christopher Columbus and Pero Vaz de Caminha
The letters of Christopher Columbus to King Ferdinand of Spain are the first observations and descriptions of Caribbean peoples recorded by a European. Likewise, Pero Vaz de Caminha letter to King Manuel of Portugal is the first description we have of indigenous Brazilians. Write a 500 words, typewritten essay taking into consideration the following:
- Both of these letters fall into the genre of a high-status subject (Vaz de Caminha is a nobleman, Columbus is a ship captain) writing to a king. Do you notice similiarties or differences in these letters? If so, what are they? What do these letters tell you about how kings were addressed by their subjects?
- Compare and contrast how Vaz de Caminha and Columbus describe the people they encounter. Likewise, how do they describe the landscape? What might their motives be for doing this?
- What do these letters tell us about Spanish and Portuguese intentions in the New World? How might they foreshadow the way in which colonization proceeds?
You many explore one of the ideas above, but you may also develop another theme that you see in the letters. Most importantly, pick a them or aspect of the letters that catches your attention, that makes you curious to know more.