Introduction

The monumental first voyage logbook of Christopher Columbus is unique in that it remains the earliest detailed day-by-day account of the explorer’s travels and activities available in print form. ¹ To account for his discoveries, Columbus, early in the voyage, decided to commit to paper his experiences during the trek across the Ocean Sea, his observations of flora and fauna, and his contact with Indigenous people on lands encountered. This extraordinary effort provides readers of his journal with a unique look at the physical and social geography of the Americas at first contact in 1492. ² On another level, author Robert Fuson states, “It is, in essence, a singular, documentary link between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.” ³