Columbus Second Voyage Research Paper

Columbus' second voyage was a key factor in the development of the Spanish empire because it led to the discovery of several more islands and the establishment of Santo Domingo. In October 13th 1493, Columbus took 17 ships and more 1,200 men on his second voyage into the New World. They sighted the islands of Dominica (where they encountered hostile natives) Montserrat and Puerto Rico. They also revisited the settlement of La Navidad, only to find all the men had been killed. The consequence of this voyage was that on the return journey in March 1496, the people from the struggling settlement of La Isabella were moved to the new settlement of Santo Domingo, which went on to become the first successful colony of the Spanish empire. Another short term consequence was the discovery of more islands. Therefore, Columbus' second voyage was key in the development of the Spanish empire by 1513 because it led to the …show more content…
It was the first set of laws governing the behaviour of the Spanish colonists, particularly regarding the treatment of the Taino population. It forbade their mistreatment and formerly recognised their conversion to Catholicism. Although this was supposed to positive for the Natives, the laws was mostly ignored across the colonies, due to a lack of strict enforcement or punishment. Unfortunately, the poor treatment and abuse that the Tainos faced continued. In fact, it had a negative social impact on them as they were now required to build their huts and cabins alongside the Spanish who saw themselves as superior. Therefore, as a result of the Laws of Burgos, the Spanish empire continued to develop by exploiting the Native populations of the lands they conquered. This led to the rapid decline of the populations and enforced the hierarchy that the Spanish introduced. They also faced less resistance from the dying people, which was positive for them as they did not have to worry about rebellions from their