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Capitulations of Santa Fe
April 17, 1492
Capitulations of Santa Fe
The things requested and which Your Highnesses grant and bestow upon Christopher Columbus in some satisfaction for what he is to discover in the Ocean Seas, from the voyage that he is now, with God's help, to make through them in the service of Your Highnesses, are the following:
Firstly, that Your Highnesses, as lords of the said Ocean Seas, hereby appoint the said Christopher Columbus as your Admiral in all those islands and mainland territories that may be discovered or conquered by his hand or industry in the said Ocean Seas, for his lifetime, and, after his death, to his heirs or successors, from one to another perpetually, with all those preeminences and prerogatives pertaining to such office, as Don Alonso Enríquez, your High Admiral of Castile, and the other predecessors in the said office, held in their districts. So pleases Your Highnesses. Juan de Coloma. Furthermore, Your Highnesses appoint the said Christopher Columbus as your viceroy and governor-general in the said islands and mainland territories, which, as stated, he may discover or conquer in the said seas, and that for the governance of each and every one of them he shall elect three persons for each office, and that Your Highnesses shall take and choose one, the one most suitable to your service, and thus the lands that our Lord may allow him to find and conquer in the service of Your Highnesses shall be better governed. So pleases Their Highnesses. Juan de Coloma.
Item, that all and any merchandise, whether precious pearls, gold or silver, spices, and any other things and merchandise of any kind, name, and manner whatsoever, that may be bought, bartered, found, acquired, and possessed within the limits of the said admiralty, which Your Highnesses hereby grant to the said Don Cristóbal, and wish that he may have and take for himself one-tenth of all of it, less the costs incurred therein; so that of what remains clear and free, he may have and take one-tenth for himself and do with it as he pleases, the other nine parts remaining for Your Highnesses. Pleases Their Highnesses. Juan de Coloma.
Furthermore, if, because of the merchandise he will bring from the said islands and lands, which, as stated, will be won and discovered, or from those taken here in exchange for those from other merchants, any dispute should arise in the place where the said trade and commerce will be conducted, then if, by virtue of the preeminence of his office as Admiral, it belongs to him to hear such a dispute, it pleases Your Highnesses that he or his lieutenant, and no other judge, hear the dispute and so provide from now on. May it please Your Highnesses if it belongs to the said office of Admiral, as it did for the said Admiral Don Alonso Enríquez, and his predecessors in their districts, and if it is just. Juan de Coloma.
Item, that in all the ships that may be armed for the said trade and business, each and every time and as many times as they are armed, that the said Don Cristobal may, if he so desires, contribute and spend one-eighth of all that is spent on the outfitting, and that he also shall have and take the profit of one-eighth of what results from the said fleet. Pleases Their Highnesses. Juan de Coloma.
This document appears in the Compendium: Chapter I
Annotation:
The Capitulaciones de Santa Fe (1492) is the formal agreement between Christopher Columbus and the Catholic Monarchs, outlining the terms of his voyage, including titles, governance, and a share of profits from any lands discovered. It provides a primary record of how Spain officially authorized and incentivized overseas exploration, establishing Columbus’s authority and the framework for his expeditions.
Authors:
Transcript Source: https://www.cultura.gob.es/cultura/areas/archivos/mc/archivos/agi/portada.html
They are granted and dispatched, with Your Highnesses' replies at the end of each chapter, in the town of Santa Fe de la Vega de Granada, on the 17th of April in the year of the birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ 1492. I, the King. I, the Queen.
By order of the King and Queen, Juan de Coloma. Registered, Calcena.
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