Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer sailing under the Spanish flag, embarked on his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in search of a westward sea route to Asia. On December 6, 1492, having previously misidentified the island of Cuba as one of the easternmost nations of Asia, he arrived at an island he later named Hispaniola, which is now part of the present-day nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Columbus and his crew were primarily driven by the desire to find gold and establish trade routes, which they believed could easily be exploited in Asia.

Upon landing, Columbus encountered the indigenous Taino people, who greeted him with curiosity and hospitality. The Taino population enriched the early interactions with their knowledge of the land and resources. Columbus viewed this new land as a promising area for further exploration and an opportunity for Spanish dominance and wealth. The misidentification of these territories illustrated the limited geographical knowledge of European explorers at the time, contributing to the further misunderstanding of the cultures they encountered.

The subsequent weeks involved exploration, establishing claims, and interactions with the Taino people, who would soon face significant consequences due to European colonization. Columbus's landing on Hispaniola initiated a series of expeditions and settlements that profoundly altered the demographic and cultural landscapes of the Caribbean and the Americas.