Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 70,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World to soldiers’ letters from World War II and Vietnam. Explore primary sources, visit exhibitions in person or online, or bring your class on a field trip.

Back to Collection Search

Columbus, Christopher (1451-1506) Letter of Christopher Columbus to Rafael Sanchez, written on board the caravel while returning from his first voyage.

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC08615 Author/Creator: Columbus, Christopher (1451-1506) Place Written: Chicago, Illinois Type: Pamphlet Date: 1893 Pagination: 34 p.

Summary of Content: Title continues: "Published at Barcelona, May, 1493." Facsimile of the first publication concerning America. First 20 pages, Latin text in facsimile (black letter, with illustrations); followed by English translation. Published in Chicago by the W. H. Lowdermilk Company.

People: Columbus, Christopher, 1451-1506

Historical Era: The Americas to 1620

Subjects: Frontiers and ExplorationMaritimeGlobal History and CivicsForeign Affairs

Sub Era: Exploration

Order a Copy Citation Guidelines for Online Resources

Copyright Notice: The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.