It's Columbus Day and time for the yearly controversy on what type of man Columbus was. Discoverer of America? Man of genocide? Man of blind luck and faith?
Here’s one: Columbus the businessman.
Ah yes, history loves to ignore business when it comes to brave explorers and discovery. Whether it was Portugal keeping fishing grounds secret, or the Church colonizing for greater profit we’re talking business. Big business. With the biggest prize still available during Columbus’s time.
The Goal
Passage to India as a stepping stone to the orient with lucrative ocean trade routes and the colonies that came with such routes.
Columbus wanted in and he came up with a plan that he presented to John II, King of Portugal.
The Business Plan
Columbus had a business plan? Nobody talks about this part much, but of course he did. You don’t walk up to the King with an outstretched hand unless there is something in it for royalty. And for yourself.
Columbus’s would be reward for discovery: 10% of all revenue from lands found, the title of "Great Admiral of the Ocean", and governor of whatever he found. At least that it what he asked for.
Unfortunately part of Columbus’s plan included the distance he would need to travel. Doubly unfortunately for him John II gave the plan to his committee and...Columbus was rejected. The committee pointing out that the calculations were off.
1488 Columbus tries again. Same plan. Only the world has now changed: Portugal already has rounded the tip of South Africa and was on its way to dominating the Eastern sea route.
Or basically someone else beat him to the goal. At this point there are two choices: give up or try someone else.
He tried someone else. Columbus presented his plan to Isabella, Queen of Spain – who is Portugal’s competitor. Once again he is referred to committee and...was told Columbus was wrong with his navigation assumptions.
Wait a minute? Spain rejected him? The history books mention this sometimes, usually filled out with not giving up and following the dream since four years later Columbus got his funding. There was one key difference with the final business plan.
It now included a map.
Business Espionage
Christopher had a brother Bartolomeo - a mapmaker in Lisbon. As far as private societies and organizations the cartographers were top of the heap as far as being secretive and violent. Unauthorized copying of maps was punishable by death.
Let me try that again. Punishable by death.
Only Bart fell out of favor in Lisbon and seeing the writing on the wall he did what people have done all the way from caveman days to modern business. He took bunch of company property in the form of maps and left town.
Columbus then appeared in court to pitch his plan again. Only this time he had a map showing LAND around the southern tip of Africa that would make the Portugal claims invalid AND proof that the trip westward would not be as long.
The contract was signed -exactly as he asked Portugal in the first place- and Columbus set sail.
Western discovery
So Columbus re-discovered a trade route to America, we all lived happily ever after, and he now has a day named after him as he retired to prestige and greatness. Oh, hold on, he ended up in chains?
Private diaries revealed that the Queen never REALLY expected Columbus to succeed or she wouldn't have signed the onerous contract in the first place. From Columbus’s point of view he wanted desperately to find gold and opportunities since a) it was the only way he'd get paid; and b) if he returned home empty handed then there was no way he'd get jack.
The Profit Game
Four voyages later Columbus found himself in chains and his reputation being smeared for being too violent. It was under those conditions the Queen finally broke her contract with him and took back everything he owned.
Yeah, Columbus got screwed by the Queen of Spain.
The Moral of the Story
Draw your own conclusions. Columbus ran a game - one that worked for him – he lied, got paid out, and for a while looked like he would retire a happy man. Only Queen Isabella turned out to be a bigger liar and a bigger liar with a lot more power. Either way his trip never happens if he doesn’t lie his ass off. He’s a little bit of everything – explorer, killer of people, and a heck of a business man.
Here’s one: Columbus the businessman.
Ah yes, history loves to ignore business when it comes to brave explorers and discovery. Whether it was Portugal keeping fishing grounds secret, or the Church colonizing for greater profit we’re talking business. Big business. With the biggest prize still available during Columbus’s time.
The Goal
Passage to India as a stepping stone to the orient with lucrative ocean trade routes and the colonies that came with such routes.
Columbus wanted in and he came up with a plan that he presented to John II, King of Portugal.
The Business Plan
Columbus had a business plan? Nobody talks about this part much, but of course he did. You don’t walk up to the King with an outstretched hand unless there is something in it for royalty. And for yourself.
Columbus’s would be reward for discovery: 10% of all revenue from lands found, the title of "Great Admiral of the Ocean", and governor of whatever he found. At least that it what he asked for.
Unfortunately part of Columbus’s plan included the distance he would need to travel. Doubly unfortunately for him John II gave the plan to his committee and...Columbus was rejected. The committee pointing out that the calculations were off.
1488 Columbus tries again. Same plan. Only the world has now changed: Portugal already has rounded the tip of South Africa and was on its way to dominating the Eastern sea route.
Or basically someone else beat him to the goal. At this point there are two choices: give up or try someone else.
He tried someone else. Columbus presented his plan to Isabella, Queen of Spain – who is Portugal’s competitor. Once again he is referred to committee and...was told Columbus was wrong with his navigation assumptions.
Wait a minute? Spain rejected him? The history books mention this sometimes, usually filled out with not giving up and following the dream since four years later Columbus got his funding. There was one key difference with the final business plan.
It now included a map.
Business Espionage
Christopher had a brother Bartolomeo - a mapmaker in Lisbon. As far as private societies and organizations the cartographers were top of the heap as far as being secretive and violent. Unauthorized copying of maps was punishable by death.
Let me try that again. Punishable by death.
Only Bart fell out of favor in Lisbon and seeing the writing on the wall he did what people have done all the way from caveman days to modern business. He took bunch of company property in the form of maps and left town.
Columbus then appeared in court to pitch his plan again. Only this time he had a map showing LAND around the southern tip of Africa that would make the Portugal claims invalid AND proof that the trip westward would not be as long.
The contract was signed -exactly as he asked Portugal in the first place- and Columbus set sail.
Western discovery
So Columbus re-discovered a trade route to America, we all lived happily ever after, and he now has a day named after him as he retired to prestige and greatness. Oh, hold on, he ended up in chains?
Private diaries revealed that the Queen never REALLY expected Columbus to succeed or she wouldn't have signed the onerous contract in the first place. From Columbus’s point of view he wanted desperately to find gold and opportunities since a) it was the only way he'd get paid; and b) if he returned home empty handed then there was no way he'd get jack.
The Profit Game
Four voyages later Columbus found himself in chains and his reputation being smeared for being too violent. It was under those conditions the Queen finally broke her contract with him and took back everything he owned.
Yeah, Columbus got screwed by the Queen of Spain.
The Moral of the Story
Draw your own conclusions. Columbus ran a game - one that worked for him – he lied, got paid out, and for a while looked like he would retire a happy man. Only Queen Isabella turned out to be a bigger liar and a bigger liar with a lot more power. Either way his trip never happens if he doesn’t lie his ass off. He’s a little bit of everything – explorer, killer of people, and a heck of a business man.
And there is your history lesson.
Wayne
