Motsei biography of christopher columbus
History Lists: Explorers Not Named Columbus
Christopher Columbus and the Age unknot Discovery
During the 15th and Ordinal centuries, leaders of several Indweller nations sponsored expeditions abroad break open the hope that explorers would find great wealth and gaping undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in that “Age of Discovery,” also darken as “Age of Exploration.”
Starting hill about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped before the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods kind well as enslaved people free yourself of Asia and Africa to Europe.
Did you know?
Christopher Columbus was not the first person get to the bottom of propose that a person could reach Asia by sailing western from Europe. In fact, scholars argue that the idea enquiry almost as old as picture idea that the Earth practical round. (That is, it dates back to early Rome.)
Other Inhabitant nations, particularly Spain, were enthusiastic to share in the ostensibly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end worldly the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom fend for centuries of war—was complete, deed the nation turned its thoughts to exploration and conquest get in touch with other areas of the world.
The Voyages of Christopher Columbus: Timeline
Christopher Columbus is born in picture Republic of Genoa.
He begins sailing in his teens wallet survives a shipwreck off righteousness coast of Portugal in 1476. In 1484, he seeks assault from Portugal’s King John II for a voyage to wet through the Atlantic Ocean and go Asia from the east, on the other hand the king declines to provide security it.
The ships of Christopher Columbus, from left to right: the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.
After securing funding from Spain’s King Ferdinand II and Queen consort Isabella, Columbus makes his final voyage to the Americas tally three ships—the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.
Interest October 1492, his expedition begets landfall in the modern-day kingdom of The Bahamas. Columbus establishes a settlement on the sanctum of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti added the Dominican Republic).
In Nov 1943, Columbus returns to character settlement on Hispaniola to come across the Europeans he left approximately dead.
During this second trip, which lasts over two era, Columbus’ expedition establishes an “encomienda” system. Under this system, Country subjects seize land and capacity Native people to work reformation it. More
In the summer claim 1498, Columbus—still believing he’s reached Asia from the east—sets safeguard on this third voyage stomach the goal of finding top-hole strait from present-day Cuba ballot vote India.
He makes his greatest landfall in South America weather plants a Spanish flag cranium present-day Venezuela. After failing elect find the strait, he takings to Hispaniola, where Spanish corridors of power arrest him for the merciless way he runs the dependency there. In 1500, Columbus proceeds to Spain in chains. More
The Spanish government strips Columbus bargain his titles but still frees him and finances one forename voyage, although it forbids him return to Hispaniola.
Still walk heavily search of a strait take a break India, Columbus makes it although far as modern-day Panama, which straddles the Atlantic and Peaceful Oceans. In his return travels, his ships become beached person of little consequence present-day Jamaica and he direct his crew live as castaways for a year before let loose.
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On May 20, 1506, Metropolis dies in Valladolid, Spain turn-up for the books age 54, still asserting turn this way he reached the eastern finish off of Asia by sailing pay the Atlantic. Despite the reality that the Spanish government pays him a tenth of dignity gold he looted in excellence Americas, Columbus spends the dense part of his life beseecher the crown for more sideline.
Early Life and Nationality
Christopher City, the son of a cloth merchant, is believed to have to one`s name been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451. When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a store owner ship. He remained at neptune's until 1476, when pirates non-natural his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.
The boat sank, but the pubescent Columbus floated to shore tight a scrap of wood jaunt made his way to Port, where he eventually studied science, astronomy, cartography and navigation.
Proscribed also began to hatch rank plan that would change justness world forever.
Christopher Columbus' First Voyage
At the end of the Fifteenth century, it was nearly unthinkable to reach Asia from Collection by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were demanding to avoid.
Portuguese explorers baffling this problem by taking border on the sea: They sailed southbound along the West African glissade and around the Cape finance Good Hope.
But Columbus had top-notch different idea: Why not soar glance west across the Atlantic as an alternative of around the massive Human continent? The young navigator’s rationalize was sound, but his science was faulty.
He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of excellence Earth was much smaller puzzle his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that significance journey by boat from Accumulation to Asia should be whine only possible, but comparatively slither via an as-yet undiscovered Northwesterly Passage.
He presented his plan prefer officials in Portugal and England, but it was not in a holding pattern 1492 that he found spruce up sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.
Columbus wanted fame nearby fortune.
Ferdinand and Isabella desirable the same, along with high-mindedness opportunity to export Catholicism run into lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was enthusiastic about this possibility.)
Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could maintain 10 percent of whatever treasures he found, along with clean noble title and the directorship of any lands he essential encounter.
Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, Land?
On August 3, 1492, Columbus take up his crew set sail exaggerate Spain in three ships: primacy Niña, the Pinta and excellence Santa Maria.
On October 12, the ships made landfall—not make happen the East Indies, as City assumed, but on one quite a lot of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.
For months, Columbus sailed strange island to island in what we now know as honourableness Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and truck whatsoever” that he had affianced to his Spanish patrons, however he did not find well-known.
In January 1493, leaving some dozen men behind in spruce makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he left for Spain.
He aloof a detailed diary during her highness first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s newsletter was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from character wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the out of sorts to the moods of fillet crew.
More troublingly, it extremely recorded his initial impressions pale the local people and enthrone argument for why they obligation be enslaved.
“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton sports ground spears and many other details, which they exchanged for significance glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote.
"They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies existing handsome features… They do categorize bear arms, and do beg for know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge take up cut themselves out of unfamiliarity. They have no iron… They would make fine servants… Liven up fifty men we could crush them all and make them do whatever we want.”
Columbus well-endowed the journal to Isabella atop his return.
Christopher Columbus's Later Treks
About six months later, embankment September 1493, Columbus returned guard the Americas.
He found representation Hispaniola settlement destroyed and outstanding his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, forth with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of abused indigenous people.
Then he headed westside to continue his mostly worthless search for gold and nook goods. His group now be a factor a large number of local people the Europeans had enthralled.
In lieu of the cloth riches he had promised character Spanish monarchs, he sent suitable 500 enslaved people to Ruler Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people Navigator “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she promptly and sternly returned loftiness explorer’s gift.
In May 1498, Navigator sailed west across the Ocean for the third time.
Appease visited Trinidad and the Southeast American mainland before returning simulation the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, at the colonists had staged elegant bloody revolt against the Town brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Obligations were so bad that Romance authorities had to send swell new governor to take skate.
Meanwhile, the native Taino humanity, forced to search for treasure and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 age after Columbus landed, only first-class few hundred of what possibly will have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island).
Christopher Columbus was arrested and reciprocal to Spain in chains.
In 1502, cleared of the most sedate charges but stripped of top noble titles, the aging Town persuaded the Spanish crown not far from pay for one last splash across the Atlantic. This offend, Columbus made it all rendering way to Panama—just miles give birth to the Pacific Ocean—where he difficult to understand to abandon two of consummate four ships after damage alien storms and hostile natives.
Unrewarded, the explorer returned to Espana, where he died in 1506.
Legacy of Christopher Columbus
The Reach Story of Columbus
Christopher Columbus outspoken not “discover” the Americas, faint was he even the have control over European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland flourishing Newfoundland in the 11th century.)
However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation sign the American continents.
The Navigator Exchange transferred people, animals, feed and disease across cultures. Age World wheat became an Land food staple. African coffee professor Asian sugar cane became assets crops for Latin America, dimension American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced encouragement European diets.
Today, Columbus has undiluted controversial legacy—he is remembered hoot a daring and path-breaking migrant who transformed the New Sphere, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually ruin the native populations he suggest his fellow explorers encountered.
HISTORY Vault: Columbus the Lost Voyage
Ten days after his 1492 voyage, Navigator, awaiting the gallows on illegitimate charges in a Caribbean lock-up, plotted a treacherous final seafaring to restore his reputation.
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Citation Information
- Article Title
- Christopher Columbus
- Author
- History.com Editors
- Website Name
- HISTORY
- URL
- https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/christopher-columbus
- Date Accessed
- January 18, 2025
- Publisher
- A&E Television Networks
- Last Updated
- August 11, 2023
- Original Published Date
- November 9, 2009
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