Pleitos colombinos facts for kids

The Pleitos colombinos (pronounced: PLEY-tohs koh-lom-BEE-nohs) were a long series of lawsuits. These lawsuits were started by the family of Christopher Columbus against the Spanish King and Queen. They fought to keep the special rights and rewards Columbus was promised for his discoveries in the New World. Most of these legal battles happened between 1508 and 1536.

Starting the Lawsuits

Columbus's Early Promises

In 1492, Christopher Columbus and the Spanish rulers, Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II, signed an agreement. It was called the Capitulations of Santa Fe. This agreement promised Columbus a tenth (10%) of all the riches found on his journey. It also gave him important titles like "Admiral of the Ocean Sea" and "Viceroy and Governor of the Indies."

Trouble in the New World

During his third trip, Columbus faced problems in Hispaniola (an island in the Caribbean). Other Spaniards there were unhappy with him. They felt he had not delivered on his promises of wealth. Columbus even tried to team up with local native groups, the Taínos and Caribs, against some of the Spanish settlers.

People returning to Spain accused Columbus of not managing things well. So, the King and Queen sent a royal official named Francisco de Bobadilla to Hispaniola in 1500. When he arrived, Columbus and his brothers were arrested and sent back to Spain in chains. Columbus was set free in Spain, but he lost much of his power and respect.

Diego Colón Takes Over

When Columbus died in 1506, his oldest son, Diego, took over his title as Admiral of the Indies. In 1508, King Ferdinand also made Diego the Governor of the Indies. The King said this job would last "as long as my grace and will would have it." But Diego believed it was a job for his family "forever." This disagreement led Diego to start a lawsuit against the Spanish Crown.

The Main Lawsuits

First Decisions and Appeals

In 1511, the first decision in the lawsuit was made in Seville. The judges agreed that Columbus's family should be viceroys (like royal representatives) forever. They also said the family had a right to 10% of the profits from the new lands. However, the Crown also got the right to name judges for appeals. Neither side was happy with this decision, so both appealed it.

The Darién Lawsuit

In 1512, another lawsuit was added to the main one. This was called the pleito del Darién. It was about whether Columbus's family's power reached the mainland of America. The name Darién then referred to a large area in Central America, not just the small Darién Gap we know today.

Later Verdicts and New Challenges

A new decision was made in 1520, known as the "Declaration of La Coruña."

In 1524, Diego Colón was removed from his job as governor. He then started another lawsuit against the Crown. Diego died two years later, but his wife continued the lawsuit for their young son, Luis. At this time, Diego's brother, Fernando Colón, was a main representative for the family. A decision in Valladolid in 1527 canceled all previous decisions and ordered a new trial.

The government's lawyer tried to prove that Martín Alonso Pinzón was more important in discovering the West Indies than Columbus. He called people who had been on Columbus's first voyage as witnesses. Two more decisions were made in 1534 (in Dueñas) and 1535 (in Madrid), but both were appealed again.

The Final Agreement

Choosing Arbitrators

Finally, both sides agreed to let independent people decide the argument. This is called arbitration. On June 28, 1536, two important leaders made the final decision. They were Bishop García de Loaysa, who led the Council of the Indies, and Gaspar de Montoya, who led the Council of Castile.

What the Agreement Decided

The arbitrators made the following decisions:

• They confirmed that Columbus's family would forever hold the title of Admiral of the Indies. This title came with special rights, similar to the Admiral of Castile.
• They took away the titles of Viceroy and Governor General of the Indies from the family.
• They gave Columbus's heirs a large estate. This included the island of Jamaica (with the title of Marquess of Jamaica). It also included a territory of 25 square leagues in Veragua (with the title of Duke of Veragua).
• They confirmed that the family would keep their lands in Hispaniola. They also kept the titles of alguacil mayor (like a high sheriff) of Santo Domingo and of the Audiencia (a court) on the island.
• They ordered the Crown to pay Columbus's heirs 10,000 ducats every year. They also had to pay 500,000 maravedíes each year to Luis Colón's sisters.

Smaller Lawsuits

After the big agreement in 1536, smaller lawsuits continued between the Columbus family and the Crown. These were not as important as the earlier ones. They happened between 1537 and 1541, and again from 1555 to 1563. Some even continued off and on until the late 1700s.

Why These Lawsuits Matter to History

Both the Columbus family and the Spanish Crown gathered information from people who had been on the voyages to America. This information has become a very important source for historians studying that time. However, historians also know that some of the stories told by witnesses might not be completely accurate.

See also

In Spanish: Pleitos colombinos para niños