Latest Knights of Columbus magazine says Columbus never had slaves. True?

[Bartolome Casas]

I have in the past read quotes from the letters of Christopher Columbus in which Columbus himself discusses the slaves he captured in the New World and took back to Spain.

But in the latest edition (June 2012) of "Columbia," the official magazine of the K of C, a historian claims that Columbus never took or had or sold any slaves.

I am seeking documentation about this matter, one way or the other.

To me, the only way to know for sure about this is to read the authentic letters of Christopher Columbus.

The historian interviewed in the K of C magazine claims to have read everything ever written by Columbus. But I wonder. In the magazine, he does qualify his statement about Columbus never having any slaves by saying "as far as I know." That qualification made me wonder.

Anyway, so far I have not been able to find any web site with the English translation of all the letters and other authentic writings of Columbus.

Many web sites claim that Columbus took, held and sold slaves. But I don't think they can necessarily be trust. I am seeking Columbus' own writings. I think that is the only way to know for sure.

[tarboy]

I'm curious why this matters to people
- Columbus was an explorer/trader and not a theologian
- His society condoned slavery, why should he be different
- Both church and state participated in plundering the 'new world' he discovered

Personally, I don't like it when we put historical figures on a pedestal, or hold them to standards that did not exist in their time.
Instead of seeing them as human beings, we either vilify them or whitewash away their human traits. This approach prevents us from really learning what life was like at said time, and how we've changed as a society.

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[Aelred Minor]

Perhaps he never personally owned a slave or enslaved anyone, but captained ships that carried slaves, governed Hispaniola while it had slavery, that sort of thing?

[sedonaman]

Originally Posted by Bartolome Casas

... I am seeking Columbus' own writings. I think that is the only way to know for sure.

I don't think his own writings have survived, at least not his log, of which there were two originals, one he gave to Isabella and the other he kept for himself. One source I encountered said both were lost. Here is a starting point that might be helpful: http://www.christopher-columbus.eu/logs.htm

Good luck.