Play - The Voyage That Changed The World

Introduction Born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa (Italy,) young Christopher Columbus worked as an apprentice (trainee) in his father's wool shop. A tall boy with fiery red hair and freckles, Christopher yearned to sail the high seas. In his early teens, he made his first voyage. A few years later, pirates attacked his fleet off the coast of Portugal. Seven ships were sunk, and hundreds of sailors drowned. A wounded Christopher swam more than six miles to safety. But his greatest adventure -- on one of the most famous voyages ever -- still lay far in the future. Scene 1 Narrator A: 1463. Christopher gazes out at the Ligurian Sea as trading vessels enter the port of Genoa. Christopher Columbus: Look at those ships, Bartholomew! Imagine the riches they bring. Bartholomew Columbus: Yes, all the way from the Far East. Pepper, silk, tea, and spices. Narrator A: Products from the Asia bring big prices in Europe. But warring Arabs and thieves make the overland trip dangerous. Christopher: Father wants me to be a weaver, but that's not the life for me. I want adventure-sailing the seas and dueling with pirates! Narrator A: When he gets older, Christopher teaches himself to read. He studies maps by candlelight and devours Marco Polo's book, Description of the World. Christopher: Listen to this. Polo actually met the great Kublai Khan in China. The walls of the Khan's palace were covered with gold and silver! Bartholomew: Blow out the candle, big brother, and get some sleep. You have to be at the loom in the morning. Christopher: Some day I'll sail to the Indies [eastern Asia]. I'll visit China and Japan just like Polo, and bring home gold, jewels, and silk!

Scene 2 Narrator B: Across the Atlantic Ocean--then known as the Ocean Sea--a boy named Caro swims with his friend Toma. Members of the Taino tribe, the boys live on Guanahani [GWAH-nah-hani], an island whose name means iguana. Caro: Let's swim to shore. Mother needs me to start the fire for supper. Toma: I want to lie on the beach for a while. The gentle breeze feels good. Caro (looking out to sea): Toma, what do you suppose lies beyond the great waters? Could it be heaven? Toma: No, heaven is right here--on Guanahani. Caro: But where do the gods live? Toma: Don't ask silly questions, Caro. You know that your grandfather expects you to be our leader when you are older. Your place is here. Caro: If it weren't for the Carib [a hostile tribe nearby], this would be paradise. Still, I'd give anything to reach the ocean's edge.

Scene 3 Narrator C: Christopher Columbus, now in his 30s, is determined to sail to the Indies. He pores over every navigational map he can find. Christopher Columbus: By my calculations, Bartholomew, the circumference [length] of the Earth at the equator is 20,400 miles. That means only 2,400 miles of ocean separate Spain from Japan. I know I could reach Japan by sailing west! Bartholomew: Surely you've made a mistake. Japan is much farther away than that! Christopher: I'm certain I'm right. Narrator C: Christopher Columbus spends years trying to convince European royalty-especially Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain to finance his voyage. Columbus: Your Majesty, I know I can reach the Indies by sailing west. Queen Isabella: But every scholar says that the quickest route is around the southern tip of Africa. Columbus: I'll prove them wrong.

Queen Isabella: I'm sorry, but King Ferdinand will not allow me to finance such a foolish journey. Narrator C: A dejected Columbus leaves. But soon there is a knock on his door. Messenger: Columbus! The Queen wants to see you. Hurry! Queen Isabella: King Ferdinand and I have changed our minds. Our Portuguese neighbors have gotten wealthy from the Far East trade. Why shouldn't we? Columbus: You will not be disappointed, your Majesty. I will return with gold, silk, and spices. And I will convert (change) the native people to our holy Catholic religion. Queen Isabella: We will give you three ships, all the supplies you need, and a crew. The first man to lay eyes on the Indies will get an allowance in gold every year for the rest of his life. Columbus: Thank you, your Majesty! I will make Spain proud!

Scene 4 Narrator D: The Nina [NEE-nyah], Pinta [PEEN-tah], and Santa Maria set sail from the Spanish town of Palos on August 3, 1492. Columbus commands the Santa Maria. Columbus: Sailor, bring me my compass and charts (maps). Narrator D: The men stop at the Canary Islands, where they repair the Pinta's rudder and stock up on fresh supplies. Martin Alonso Pinzon: Men! Put these water casks on deck, and the pickled beef and pork below. Columbus: Soon I will achieve my dream. We will follow the sun to the Indies! Narrator D: During the voyage, Columbus keeps a diary.

Columbus (writing in his diary): "September 6: In my opinion, it is better to continue directly west in order to reach the island of Japan. My decision has not pleased the men, for they continue to murmur and complain." Pedro Gutierrez: Columbus is crazy. Yesterday he thought a bank of clouds was land. Rodrigo de Triana: We've been at sea for more than a month. I'm tired of eating fatback [dried and salted strips of hog fat]. Juan Rodriguez: Me, too! If we don't reach land in three days, let's throw Columbus overboard! Narrator D: The crew is ready to mutiny (rebel). But soon the men see driftwood, seaweed, and other signs that land is near. Columbus: Look, tropical birds. They never get more than 25 leagues [about 75 miles] from shore. Triana: And there are plants floating on the water. Pinzon: The plants must have been torn from land. We cannot be far now!

Scene 5 Narrator E: At 2:00 a.m. on October 12, the Pinta fires a cannon. One of the crew members has spotted land. Triana: Tierra! Tierra! Columbus: Yes, but I saw land first, sailor. I get the Queen's prize. Narrator E: The men grumble as Columbus stands at the helm (ship's steering wheel) in a scarlet cape. Columbus: Thanks be to God! We have arrived at the Indies Islands. Narrator E: Actually, the crew has not reached the Indies at all. Instead, they have found a small island in the Bahamas. It is where Columbus expected to find Japan. Columbus: I now take possession of San Salvador, island of our Savior, for the King and Queen of Spain. Narrator E: Early the next morning, Caro and Toma watch the visitors from a grove of trees.

Caro: Do you suppose they're from heaven, Toma? Toma: The tall one looks like a big red parrot. Maybe they are gods. Caro: Let's bring them gifts: fishbone darts, parrots, and cotton thread. Narrator E: Caro, Toma, and dozens of Taino men sail out to the ships in a boat carved from the trunk of a tree. It is the first time Europeans have seen a canoe. Columbus: Put down your arms, men. These Indians are good and gentle people. We will convert them to our Holy Faith.

Conclusion Columbus made three more voyages to the New World. His restless search for gold, rubies, and emeralds made him rich, but led him to treat the Taino cruelly. Many were enslaved and taken back to Spain. Within a few decades, most of the Taino would be dead from hunger, disease, and harsh treatment at the hands of the "men from the sky." Europeans, in turn, would benefit from the Taino's farming and woodworking skills. For the first time, hammocks, snowshoes, tobacco, pumpkins, tomatoes, and pineapples appeared in the Old World. Centuries of exploration, exploitation, and exchange had begun.

Cast Christopher Columbus Bartholomew Columbus Caro Toma Queen Isabella of Spain Messenger Martin Alonso Pinzon, captain of the Pinta Pedro Gutierrez, butler on the Pinta Juan Rodriguez, crewman Rodrigo de Triana, crewman Narrators A-E