Alice Bache Gould (Gould y Quincy, January 5, 1868, Cambridge, Massachusetts–July 25, 1953, Simancas) was a prominent American historian. She studied mostly Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella I of Castile. Gould found the so-called Capitulations of Santa Fe, that granted Columbus the title of Admiral of the Ocean Sea, and was praised particularly for ability to read the penmanship of the court scribes.[1] Her studies resulted into the most complete biographical account of Columbus' crew.[1]
In 1942, Gould became the only female corresponding member of Real Academia de la Historia and was awarded the Order of Isabella the Catholic (in 1952).[1]
Being from the Quincy political family, Gould spent the childhood in Argentina.[1] In World War I she worked as a volunteer in the espionage office of the United States embassy in Spain and led an effort to send female clerical workers to the embassy for assistance.[2] The Spanish Civil War in 1936 forced her to return to Boston but after the war she returned to Spain.[2]
Gould's articles identified 87 of the 90 crewmen. Her studies showed, that only four of the Columbus crew had problems with the law, destroying the version that most of them were criminals and jailbirds.[1] She also demonstrated that no Englishman, Irishman or other North European was aboard the Columbus ships.[1] and proved that Pedro de Lepe, whose existence had long been disputed, had sailed with Columbus on the Santa María.[3]
Gould died of cerebral hemorrhage.[1] A square in Simancas was named after her.[3]