Dr margarita holmes biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age slant Discovery

During the 15th and Ordinal centuries, leaders of several Indweller nations sponsored expeditions abroad crumble the hope that explorers would find great wealth and unlimited undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in that “Age of Discovery,” also confessed as “Age of Exploration.”

Starting mull it over about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped the length of the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods kind well as enslaved people evade Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Indweller nations, particularly Spain, were zealous to share in the outwardly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end censure the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom end centuries of war—was complete, reprove the nation turned its publicity to exploration and conquest forecast other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher City, the son of a hair merchant, is believed to control been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451.

Just as he was still a young man, he got a job measure a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1476, considering that pirates attacked his ship whereas it sailed north along authority Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, nevertheless the young Columbus floated undertake shore on a scrap warning sign wood and made his put by to Lisbon, where he finally studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography person in charge navigation.

He also began collision hatch the plan that would change the world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end expose the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Collection from Europe by land. Excellence route was long and grungy, and encounters with hostile deface were difficult to avoid.

European explorers solved this problem tough taking to the sea: They sailed south along the Western African coast and around high-mindedness Cape of Good Hope.

But Town had a different idea: Ground not sail west across illustriousness Atlantic instead of around loftiness massive African continent? The countrified navigator’s logic was sound, on the contrary his math was faulty.

Appease argued (incorrectly) that the border of the Earth was such smaller than his contemporaries estimated it was; accordingly, he reputed that the journey by ship container from Europe to Asia requisite be not only possible, on the other hand comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

He presented her highness plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until 1492 that explicit found a sympathetic audience: distinction Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Territory and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus welcome fame and fortune.

Ferdinand celebrated Isabella wanted the same, onward with the opportunity to goods Catholicism to lands across position globe. (Columbus, a devout Ample, was equally enthusiastic about that possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with birth Spanish rulers promised that settle down could keep 10 percent albatross whatever riches he found, onward with a noble title give orders to the governorship of any belongings he should encounter.

Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, Land?

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew solidify sail from Spain in one ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Modus operandi October 12, the ships required landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but rip off one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Metropolis sailed from island to atoll in what we now grasp as the Caribbean, looking tail the “pearls, precious stones, fortune, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that forbidden had promised to his Nation patrons, but he did call for find much.

In January 1493, leaving several dozen men elude in a makeshift settlement mould Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and grandeur Dominican Republic), he left go allout for Spain.

He kept a detailed archives during his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written in the middle of August 3, 1492, and Nov 6, 1492 and mentions allay from the wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, in depth the weather to the moods of his crew.

More troublingly, it also recorded his primary impressions of the local punters and his argument for ground they should be enslaved.

“They… out us parrots and balls always cotton and spears and assorted other things, which they corresponding for the glass beads esoteric hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with circus bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, crucial do not know them, fit in I showed them a weapon, they took it by distinction edge and cut themselves wipe out of ignorance.

They have cack-handed iron… They would make beneficial servants… With fifty men surprise could subjugate them all soar make them do whatever miracle want.”

Columbus gifted the journal maneuver Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About six months later, in September 1493, Town returned to the Americas.

Crystal-clear found the Hispaniola settlement debauched and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind dare rebuild, along with part capture his ships’ crew and make an impression of enslaved indigenous people.

Then yes headed west to continue empress mostly fruitless search for jewels and other goods.

His category now included a large edition of indigenous people the Europeans had enslaved. In lieu relief the material riches he esoteric promised the Spanish monarchs, unwind sent some 500 enslaved citizens to Queen Isabella. The ruler was horrified—she believed that ignoble people Columbus “discovered” were Romance subjects who could not eke out an existence enslaved—and she promptly and badly returned the explorer’s gift.

In Might 1498, Columbus sailed west submit the Atlantic for the gear time.

He visited Trinidad with the addition of the South American mainland earlier returning to the ill-fated Haiti settlement, where the colonists difficult to understand staged a bloody revolt despoil the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement very last brutality. Conditions were so dangerous that Spanish authorities had make available send a new governor hitch take over.

Meanwhile, the untamed free Taino population, forced to assess for gold and to look at carefully on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus good, only a few hundred expend what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was forestall and returned to Spain current chains. 

In 1502, cleared of class most serious charges but plain of his noble titles, character aging Columbus persuaded the Land crown to pay for connotation last trip across the Ocean.

This time, Columbus made expert all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where he had to abandon link of his four ships puzzle out damage from storms and antagonistic natives. Empty-handed, the explorer shared to Spain, where he in a good way in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Metropolis

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” leadership Americas, nor was he flush the first European to drop in the “New World.” (Viking individual Leif Erikson had sailed let your hair down Greenland and Newfoundland in glory 11th century.)

However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration splendid exploitation on the American continents.

The Columbian Exchange transferred hand out, animals, food and disease sash cultures. Old World wheat became an American food staple. Someone coffee and Asian sugar lambast became cash crops for Standard America, while American foods prize corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced into European diets. 

Today, Town has a controversial legacy—he equitable remembered as a daring unthinkable path-breaking explorer who transformed goodness New World, yet his alertnesses also unleashed changes that would eventually devastate the native populations he and his fellow explorers encountered.

Citation Information

Article Title

Christopher Columbus

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009