Diego de Arana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diego de Arana
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 1468 Harana/Valle de Arana, Spain
|
| Died | 1493 La Navidad, Haiti
|
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Relatives | Beatriz Enríquez de Arana |
Diego de Arana (born 1468 in Cordoba, Spain – died 1493 in Haiti) was an important Spanish sailor. He traveled with Christopher Columbus on his first trip to America. Diego de Arana became the leader of the first Spanish settlement in the New World, called La Navidad. He was sadly killed there.
Arana was from Córdoba. He was also a cousin of Beatriz Enriquez de Arana, who was the mother of Christopher Columbus's son.
Template:TOC limit=3
Contents
Diego de Arana's Connection to Christopher Columbus
In the late 1480s, Christopher Columbus was trying to get money for his big trip. He wanted to find a new way to Asia by sailing west. Columbus was staying in Cordoba, Spain, and often visited a pharmacy. This pharmacy was a meeting place for many smart people, including doctors and scientists.
There, Columbus became friends with a young man named Diego de Arana. Diego had two cousins, Beatriz Enríquez de Arana and Pedro Enríquez de Arana. Their family was from a valley in Spain called Arana, just like Diego's family.
Beatriz Enríquez de Arana and Columbus
Diego introduced his cousin Beatriz to Columbus in 1487. She was about 20 or 21 years old, and Columbus was 35. They had a son together in August 1488, named Ferdinand Columbus. Diego's family had a successful wine business. They might have helped Columbus with money for his voyages.
First Voyage with Columbus
Diego de Arana joined Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the New World. Diego sailed on the ship called the Santa Maria. He was the master-at-arms, which meant he was in charge of weapons and discipline.
On Christmas Day, December 25, 1492, the Santa Maria hit the ground near what is now Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. The ship was badly damaged and could not be fixed. Columbus ordered his men to take wood from the ship. This wood was used to build a small fort.
The fort was named La Navidad (Christmas) because the ship crashed on Christmas Day. Columbus decided to leave 36 men behind at this new settlement. This was because there wasn't enough space on the other ship, the Niña, for everyone to return to Spain.
Diego de Arana was chosen to be the governor, or leader, of this new settlement. Other important men, like Gutierrez and Rodrigo de Escobedo, stayed with him. The native Taino people, led by their chief Guacanagaríx, helped build the fort. They also gave Columbus permission for his men to stay there.
Columbus's Return to Spain
On January 4, 1493, Columbus left La Navidad in the Niña. He was looking for the third ship, the Pinta, which had been missing for weeks. The Pinta was found a few days later. After a disagreement between Columbus and the Pinta's captain, Martín Alonzo Pinzón, the ships got ready to sail back to Spain.
When Columbus returned to La Navidad on his second voyage, on November 27, 1493, he expected to see a busy village. Instead, he found that the fort had been destroyed. He saw the bodies of eleven of his men on the beach.
The local Taínos told Columbus that the Spanish settlers had treated them badly. Because of this, the natives fought back and killed the settlers. Other stories say that the settlers themselves had arguments and fights among themselves. These problems led to their deaths, including the death of Diego de Arana.
Portrayals in Film
Diego de Arana was played by actor Derek Bond in the 1949 movie, Christopher Columbus.
See also
In Spanish: Diego de Arana para niños
