...granted among other things free and ample faculty to the aforesaid King Alfonso -- to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens and pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever placed, and the kingdoms, dukedoms, principalities, dominions, possessions, and all movable and immovable goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery, and to apply and appropriate to himself and his successors the kingdoms, dukedoms, counties, principalities, dominions, possessions, and goods, and to convert them to his and their use and profit …


from the Romanus Pontifex, 1455

sent from Pope Nicholas V to King Alphonso V of Portugal




Place and institutional names honoring Columbus:



Columbia, alternative name for the U. S. (as in the song title Columbia, gem of the Ocean)

Colombia, the country


Columbia Hts, Minn.


Columbus, Kansas

British Columbia


Columbia, Missouri


Columbus, Pennsylvania

Columbus, Ohio


Columbiaville, Michigan


Columbia, Kentucky

Columbiana, Ohio


Columbia, Mississippi


Columbia, Tennessee

Columbus, Georgia


Columbus, Mississippi


Columbia, Maryland

Columbus, Indiana


Columbia Falls, Mont.


Columbus, Texas

Columbia City, Indiana


Columbus, Montana


Columbia Co., Wash.

Columbus Jct., Iowa


Columbus, Nebraska


Columbus, Wisconsin

Columbia, S. Carolina


Columbia Co. New York


Columbia University

Columbia, Alabama


Columbus Co., N. C.


Columbia Gas of Ohio

Columbiana, Alabama


Columbia, N. Carolina


Columbia Records

Columbia Co., Arkansas


Columbus, N. Carolina


Columbia Coll., Chicago

Columbia, California


Columbia Co., Oregon


Colon, Panama

Columbia Co. Florida


Columbia City, Oregon


Cristobol, Panama

Columbia Co. Georgia


Columbia Co., Penn.


Columbia, Pennsylvania

Columbia, Illinois





The District of Columbia (Capital of the USA)

The Columbia River, Pacific Northwest








Poem recited by American school children:

In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
He had three ships and left from Spain;
He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.


He sailed by night; he sailed by day;
He used the stars to find his way.
A compass also helped him know
How to find the way to go.


Ninety sailors were on board;
Some men worked while others snored.
Then the workers went to sleep;
And others watched the ocean deep.


Day after day they looked for land;
They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand.
October 12 their dream came true,
You never saw a happier crew!

"Indians!  Indians!"  Columbus cried;
His heart was filled with joyful pride.
But "India" the land was not;
It was the Bahamas, and it was hot.


The Arakawa natives were very nice;
They gave the sailors food and spice.
Columbus sailed on to find some gold
To bring back home, as he'd been told.


He made the trip again and again,
Trading gold to bring to Spain.
The first American?  No, not quite.
But Columbus was brave, and he was bright.






Columbus and his men, believing the island of Hispaniola to contain abundant gold, conscripted the native Taino people to dig for the precious metal. Forced labor, torture, and starvation over a period of a decade resulted in the deaths of more than 900,000 natives. Little gold was ever found.