Abstract

History has presented Christopher Columbus as the absolute protagonist of the discovery of America for europeans. However, in recent years some histotians have already taken it upon temselves to demostrate thet his first voyage would nos have been possible without Martín Aonso Pinzón.

Joining this attempt to give visibility to the people who made the development of this Castilian policy of Atlantic advance possible, in this article we analyze who was directly responsible for the organization of Columbus´s second voyage to American lands. We do this throuht an investigation based on direct consultation of documentary sources, especially the archives of Indias and Simancas, and the knowlwdge of the few works that until now have focused on the brief period of organization, May to Septembrer 1493.

This article demostrates how the monarchs desided to entrust Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca with the organization of this relevant expedition in which 1500 people embarked on 17 ships. Fonseca was responsible for obtaining funds and supplies for the voyage, but also for obtaining the necessary resources ti create what would be the first settlemnet trip of Europeans on American lands. The sovereigns also leave under their control the choice and registration of the people who must trvel on this expedition in which a small representation of Castilian society is transported, including artisans of all trades and complete families with womwn an childrem.

Keywords:
Second voyage of Christopher Columbus; Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca; women; settlement; organization