1. Star Challenger ~ Space Pioneers Newsletter ~ 9` Aug 2015*
Notes on the October 12th Christopher Columbus National Holiday in the
USA
Terry Tang, PhD.
Research Director, Kepler Space Institute
A contract is a written agreement between persons for clarifying expectations and resolving
conflicts. Contracts have provided much knowledge to Documentary Historians for
describing activities within a society as facts. A contract transforms ideas into action.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS'S CONTRACT
From 1483 to 1488 Christopher Columbus attempted unsuccessfully to secure a contract
with King John II of Portugal, ‘Enterprise of the Indies.’ Columbus wanted to be given the
title, “Great Admiral of the Ocean,” receive one tenth of all revenue from those lands and
be appointed Governor of any and all lands he discovered.
In 1486 Spain’s monarchs gave Columbus an allowance, food and lodging and encouraged
him to negotiate a contract with them. In 1492 King Ferdinand of Spain agreed in five
paragraphs to giving Columbus the title, “Admiral of the Ocean Seas,” a high portion of
profits and be appointed Viceroy and Governor of all new lands.
HISTORIC SETTING OF EVENTS
Since Pope Urban II declared the First Crusade in 1095 Western Christendom had been
fighting the reconquista, the struggle against the expansion of Islam on the Iberian
Peninsula.
Marco Polo’s China years (1273-1293) and Description of the World publicized the wealth
in Asia.
A consequence of the Black Death in Fourteenth Century Europe was a ‘Do or Die
Mercantilism’ to obtain Far Eastern treasures, i.e., silk, spices, gums, resins and food
preservatives.
In 1452 Pope Nicholas’ Dum Diversas sanctioned the enslavement of pagans and infidels.
Land routes to Asia were more difficult for Christians after the 1453 fall of Constantinople
to the Ottoman Turks. Italian and other towns had stock exchanges that invested in
exploratory mercantilism. Slaves were brought from East Africa to Europe.
1

2. PRECURSORS
Columbus (born 1451?) studied navigation in Portugal at age 14. His cartographer brother
gave him access to the best sea maps of Europe and Asia. Columbus assumed the world’s
diameter to be much smaller than Eratosthene’s 200 BC near correct calculation.
Columbus wanted title, rank and wealth. He wanted wealth for himself and for launching a
Crusade to win Jerusalem from the Muslims. He believed he could improve his and
Spain’s wealth by sailing west and trading lucratively with Asia.
CONSEQUENCES
Columbus sailed west for 33 days without seeing land, until landing on an island he named
“San Salvador,” Holy Savior, which is believed to be located in the Bahamas.
His second voyage westward in 1493 landed elsewhere with 17 ships and 1,200 men.
Columbus was arrested in 1500, removed from all posts and died at age 55 in 1506.
Litigation on his contract with the Spanish crown continued until 1790.
Much intercontinental transfer of people, flora and fauna has occurred since the contract
was signed. Were his efforts for improving his and Iberian society’s behavior by sailing
west successful? Answers to this question depend on assessments and evaluations still being
debated by some, i.e., ‘A darker side to Columbus’ by Christine Armario, AssociatedPress,
Bay Area News Group, 2009.
REFERENCES
3/8/09 - http://en.wikipediia.org/waki/Christopher_Columbus - 195k - Cached.
Dor-Ner, Zvi. Columbus and the Age of Discovery. New York: Wm. Morrow & Co., 1991.
Grun, Bernard, 'The Timetables of History', New York: Simon & Schuster, 1979.
EDITOR'S NOTE ~
After communicating with the author, we feel that this article has potential for expansion
to include what happens with mining, industry, law and nation-building beyond Earth.
If anyone has insights on these fields and how they may compare with the Spanish
colonisation of the Americas, please contact me to consider how to expand the story.
Some elements for consideration, or potential elements, are ~
How the Vikings nearly ruled America.
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3. The Icelandic revolution of 1809, when a trade expedition from England took over the
island and set up a governor for two months.
How the Norwegian Viking ship from Norway caught the imagination of America and
upstaged replicas of the three ships of Columbus at the Chicago World Fair in 1893 (the
Norwegian ship is still in Chicago and has been restored).
How the L5 Society stopped the United States signing the Moon Treaty in 1980 ~
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L5_Society ~ Story in the L5 News of March 1982 ~
http://www.nss.org/settlement/L5news/1982-opposition.htm
How will terrestrial law work in the celestial realm?
See Andrew Dempster's article, in news below, for a number of highly valid points of
consideration.
Space mining is closer thanyou think, and the prospects are great
================================================
Andrew Dempster, 7 August 2015, The Conversation
http://theconversation.com/space-mining-is-closer-than-you-think-and-the-prospects-are-great-
45707
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2015 Off Earth Mining Forum
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4-6 November 2015
Australian Technology Park
Everleigh (Sydney), New South Wales
http://www.acser.unsw.edu.au/oemf2015/index.html
The Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research(ACSER) invites you to attend the
2nd Off Earth Mining Forum, hosted jointly with the UNSW School of Mining Engineering
at the Australian Technology Park. ~ Readmore ~
http://www.acser.unsw.edu.au/oemf2015/index.html
* http://spacepioneers.com.au/
STAR CHALLENGER
SPACE PIONEERS NEWSLETTER
9 Aug 2015
EDITOR: Kim Peart