America's Dusty Files - December 25, 1492 - The Santa Maria Runs Aground

A Year of Colonial American Frontier History

December 25, 1492 - The Santa Maria Runs Aground
Sometime during the early morning hours of December 25, the Santa Maria ran aground off the coast of Hispaniola.
Grounding of the Santa Maria
Columbus and his crew had spent a great deal of time exploring the island of Hispaniola. They had found some gold and made contact with the local Taino tribes that inhabited the island. As they lay off the shore of the island during the night of December 25, the Santa Maria ran aground on some off shore sand bars.
Rescue and Decisions
Columbus and the crew of the Nina managed to rescue the crew of the Santa Maria without losing a person. The ship, however, was firmly grounded and he could not save it. The extra men from the ship would not fit on the Nina. Since Martín Alonso Pinzón had absconded with the Pinta, Columbus had a decision to make. He decided to found a colony on Hispaniola and leave some of his crew to inhabit it. He consulted with the Taino cacique (chieftain) Guacanagari, who allowed Columbus to build a stockade.

Indiana's history begins many decades before December 11, 1816 when Indiana became a state. The first foundations of Indiana's were laid with the voyages of Christopher Columbus and the settlement that came later. The American History A Day at A Time - 2015 series is in an easy to read "This Day in History," format and includes articles by the author from that series. The reader may read the articles as they appear, or purchase the book:
A Year of Colonial American Frontier History

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