Manuscrito No. 010

Fecha: 1505, mayo 10. Medina del Campo, España
Tema: La Corona Española afirmó haber recibido solicitud de dos fuelles para herrería y veinte negros esclavizados de parte del gobernador colonial de La Española, Nicolás de Ovando, y ordenó a los oficiales de la Casa de la Contratación de Sevilla enviar lo pedido
Fuente: PARES, Portal de Archivos Españoles—Archivo General de Indias, INDIFERENTE, 418, L.1, F. 130V-131R-2- Imagen Núm: 2/2

Those involved in the gold mining enterprise being launched by the Spanish colonizers by mid September 1505 in La Española  felt the need of a good deal of the tools and techniques they had been familiar with in the mining work done in the Old World, and in this letter to the officials of Casa de la Contratación de las Indias the Spanish monarchs acknowledge having received request from the colonists of La Española for a variety of tools and materials.

Interestingly, the monarchs also refer in the document to having received requests from colonial governor Nicolás de Ovando for “twenty Black slaves to work in our constructions,”  which shows that enslaved Blacks, aside from whatever numbers were being forced to work in the mines, were already  being used as well in building works that were considered by the monarchs as very close to their colonizing efforts.  Similarly shown in other documents (Manuscript No. 012), it also confirms that by then governor Ovando had abandoned his initial fears about the problems caused by the enslaved Blacks that would run away once arriving in La Española. 

The Crown responded to both requests by ordering via this document that the tools, materials and enslave Blacks be sent to La Española as soon as possible.