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Antonio Vaquera (game designer) is back with the second part of the historical introduction of our game Sea & Steel: Columbus’ Voyages. If you haven’t read the first part you can do it by clicking this link: Leer parte 1.

Segundo viaje (1493-1496):
September 25, 1493: Columbus sets sail from Cádiz with a fleet of 17 ships and over 1,200 men.

3 de noviembre de 1493: Llega a las islas de Sotavento, descubriendo varias islas, entre ellas Puerto Rico.

Upon returning to Hispaniola on November 27, 1493, Columbus found the Fort Navidad destroyed and the men he had left behind, dead. Although the exact circumstances are unclear, it is believed that there were conflicts with other Taíno caciques or internal disputes among the Spaniards. Columbus sought out Guacanagari to obtain explanations about what had happened. Guacanagari claimed that he had been attacked by other rival caciques and that he had been unable to protect the Spaniards. He showed wounds that he claimed were the result of these conflicts.

The Indians of Guacanagari explain to the Spaniards that the attack was the work of Caonabó, a warlike Taíno cacique.

After attending to his affairs in La Isabela, Columbus decided to explore the island of Hispaniola on March 12, ordering the construction of the Santo Tomás fortress there by Pedro de Margarit on March 17.

Caonabó attacks the Fortress of Santo Tomás and Alonso de Ojeda, according to Bartolomé de Las Casas, manages to capture him with only 15 men. He is then sent to La Isabela to meet with Columbus, who orders him to be sent to Spain to speak with the kings, considering him an important indigenous leader on the island. However, on the way the ship sinks and Caonabó dies. The Indians of four of the five chiefdoms of the island decide to attack La Isabela to rescue Caonabó and expel the Spanish. The cacique of Marién, Guacanagarí, remains at Colón’s side and alerts him of the attack, so Colón prefers to fight the battle outside. The Battle of La Vega Real will take place about 100 kilometers southeast of La Isabela on March 27, 1495, and will result in a Spanish victory, which will pacify the island.

La fundación de la colonia de La Isabela:
Colón eligió un nuevo emplazamiento para el asentamiento en una bahía natural de la costa norte de La Española, que ofrecía una situación estratégica y acceso al mar. Este lugar recibió el nombre de La Isabela, en honor de la reina Isabel de Castilla.

A partir de diciembre de 1493, los colonos empezaron a construir el asentamiento. La Isabela se diseñó con calles, plazas, casas, almacenes y una iglesia. También se construyó un puerto para facilitar la descarga de suministros y futuras expediciones.

Exploración de Cuba y Jamaica:
En abril de 1494, Colón zarpó de La Española con una flota de barcos más pequeños, dejando atrás una base de operaciones en la recién establecida ciudad de La Isabela.

Columbus reached the southern coast of Cuba on April 29, 1494. He began his exploration near what is now the province of Guantánamo and then sailed westward along the island’s southern coast.

Colón y su tripulación tuvieron varios encuentros con los nativos taínos de Cuba, que al principio les recibieron con hospitalidad. Los taínos proporcionaron alimentos y otros suministros a los exploradores.

Subsequently, he sailed south and arrived in Jamaica on May 5, 1494. He landed in a bay that he called Santa Gloria, today known as St. Ann’s Bay. They explored the north coast of Jamaica. They found the island rich in natural resources, with abundant vegetation and water resources. Unlike Cuba, no permanent settlements were established in Jamaica during this voyage.

Colón también tuvo sus primeros encuentros con los caribes. Desembarcó en varias islas, entre ellas Guadalupe y Dominica, donde encontraron indicios de la presencia de caribes, como canoas y estructuras, que mostraron hostilidad hacia los europeos, lo que provocó enfrentamientos armados.

Los caribeños asaltaban otras islas y defendían agresivamente sus territorios.

Utilizaban tácticas de guerrilla y aprovechaban su conocimiento del terreno para oponerse a los españoles. Estas tácticas dificultaron las operaciones de Colón y sus hombres en las islas del Caribe.

11 de junio de 1496: Colón regresa a España para defender sus acciones ante los Reyes Católicos.

Continue reading part 3…

Set sail with us today as we delve into the historical world of Sea & Steel: Columbus’ Voyages! In this first of a four-part series, we’ll set foot alongside Antonio Vaquera (game designer) as he shares the historical background on Christopher Columbus’s first voyage.

Prepárese para descubrir hechos fascinantes y sumergirse en la era de la exploración.

Resumir en pocas páginas toda la historia del Descubrimiento y Conquista de las Islas del Caribe durante los Cuatro Viajes Colombinos es una tarea titánica, dada la ingente cantidad de información que habría que procesar y condensar.

In any case, I want to make it clear that we are at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century and that it is very difficult – if not impossible – to understand with our current mentality the way of proceeding of both the so-called “Spanish” side in the game, and the “indigenous” side, for which reason we deliberately leave aside any judgment of the legal or moral type that inevitably accompanies this theme.

The following is a brief historical summary in which the most relevant events that took place during the years 1492 to 1503 are briefly recounted, covering Columbus’ Four Voyages to what was called the New World, focusing solely on the Caribbean Islands, since the occasions on which he “touched” land on the Continent were not so relevant.

Regardless of the ups and downs of Christopher Columbus’ life and the historical evolution of the Pre-Columbian Caribbean, we must focus on the date of October 12, 1492 (the moment the game begins). This is a significant date in history, as it marks the moment when Christopher Columbus, in the service of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, reached what is considered the New World. This event is commemorated as the discovery of America by Europeans. Columbus, who had sailed from Palos de la Frontera on August 3, 1492, with three ships – the Santa María, the Pinta, and the Niña – arrived at an island in the Bahamas that the natives called Guanahaní, which Columbus renamed San Salvador (Area 15 of the game map).

Este descubrimiento abrió la puerta a la exploración y colonización europea de América, iniciando un periodo de intercambios, conflictos y profundos cambios que alteraron la historia del mundo. El 12 de octubre se celebra en varios países de América y España, y recibe diferentes nombres según el lugar, como Día de la Raza, Día de la Hispanidad o Día del Respeto a la Cultura.
La diversidad.

Primer viaje (1492-1493):
Colón y su tripulación exploraron varias islas del Caribe, entre ellas lo que hoy conocemos como Cuba (a la que Colón llamó Juana) y La Española (Haití y la República Dominicana). Colón tuvo varios encuentros con los nativos, intercambiando bienes y observando sus costumbres. Colón creía haber llegado a islas cercanas a Asia, como Cipango (Japón) y Cathay (China).
Martín Alonso Pinzón, one of Christopher Columbus’s main collaborators and captain of the caravel Pinta, separated from the other two ships at some point in late November or early December 1492. The exact reason for this separation is not entirely clear and has been interpreted in various ways by historians.

On December 25, 1492, the ship called the Santa María was wrecked on Hispaniola. Guacanagari, a Taíno cacique from the region, came to the aid of Columbus and his men. He provided them with shelter, food, and assistance in rescuing the goods from the wrecked ship. The Taínos of Guacanagari showed hospitality and generosity towards the castaways. With the help of Guacanagari, Columbus decided to build a small fort called La Navidad using the remains of the Santa María. This was the first European settlement in the Americas. Columbus left 39 men in La Navidad under the command of an officer, trusting that Guacanagari would protect them.
The Pinta and the Santa María were reunited on January 6, 1493, in Hispaniola, after several weeks of separation, and on March 15, 1493, Columbus returned to Palos de la Frontera, Spain, and was received with honors.

Continue reading part 2…