Explain the three reasons (according to Hans Konig) that Columbus needed gold.
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Answer:
THE VOYAGE
The story of the preparations for the great voyage and of the three ships is simple enough and has been told a hundred times. Palos de la Frontera, though dragging its feet, paid the fine imposed for some act of disobedience we do not know, by providing two caravels. A third ship was chartered from its owner on the spot.
THE SECOND VOYAGE
There is no ship’s log in existence for the second voyage of Columbus to America, but there is much material, and foremost among it the report by Diego Chanca. Chanca was one of the Court physicians, and the King and Queen sent him on the expedition and paid his salary. He didn’t stay with Columbus but went back to Spain on the first ship returning.
THE THIRD VOYAGE
The attitude of the Catholic monarchs toward Columbus at this point was not the “incredible ingratitude” of the Columbus myth, but simply a disappointment with the achievements he himself had aimed for: he had not asked for acclaim as a discoverer, but had presented himself as an entrepreneur announcing unheard-of mountains of gold.