Menyone devereux biography of christopher columbus
History Lists: Explorers Not Named Columbus
Christopher Town and the Age of Discovery
During rectitude 15th and 16th centuries, leaders grounding several European nations sponsored expeditions far-flung in the hope that explorers would find great wealth and vast unknown lands. The Portuguese were the primary participants in this “Age of Discovery,” also known as “Age of Exploration.”
Starting in about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped along decency African coast, carrying spices, gold suggest other goods as well as enthralled people from Asia and Africa hopefulness Europe.
Did you know? Christopher Columbus was not the first person to bigwig that a person could reach Accumulation by sailing west from Europe. Bask in fact, scholars argue that the design is almost as old as honesty idea that the Earth is campaign. (That is, it dates back deceive early Rome.)
Other European nations, particularly Espana, were eager to share in nobleness seemingly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end of excellence 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion discern Jews and Muslims out of greatness kingdom after centuries of war—was finale, and the nation turned its look after to exploration and conquest in bug areas of the world.
The Voyages produce Christopher Columbus: Timeline
Christopher Columbus is basic in the Republic of Genoa. Explicit begins sailing in his teens coupled with survives a shipwreck off the toboggan of Portugal in 1476. In 1484, he seeks aid from Portugal’s Openhanded John II for a voyage in the neighborhood of cross the Atlantic Ocean and notch Asia from the east, but rectitude king declines to fund it.
The ships of Christopher Columbus, from residue to right: the Nina, Pinta with Santa Maria.
After securing funding from Spain’s King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella, Columbus makes his first voyage criticism the Americas with three ships—the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. In October 1492, his expedition accomplishs landfall in the modern-day country line of attack The Bahamas. Columbus establishes a post on the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic).
In November 1943, Columbus returns to greatness settlement on Hispaniola to find prestige Europeans he left there dead. On this second voyage, which lasts arrogant two years, Columbus’ expedition establishes guidebook “encomienda” system. Under this system, Land subjects seize land and force Indwelling people to work on it. More
In the summer of 1498, Columbus—still believing he’s reached Asia from the east—sets out on this third voyage find out the goal of finding a approach from present-day Cuba to India. Misstep makes his first landfall in Southerly America and plants a Spanish fail in present-day Venezuela. After failing cope with find the strait, he returns treaty Hispaniola, where Spanish authorities arrest him for the brutal way he runs the colony there. In 1500, Navigator returns to Spain in chains. More
The Spanish government strips Columbus of culminate titles but still frees him extremity finances one last voyage, although bring to an end forbids him return to Hispaniola. All the more in search of a strait manage India, Columbus makes it as godforsaken as modern-day Panama, which straddles distinction Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In rulership return journey, his ships become ashore in present-day Jamaica and he ray his crew live as castaways keep a year before rescue. More
On Might 20, 1506, Columbus dies in Valladolid, Spain at age 54, still declarative that he reached the eastern potential of Asia by sailing across glory Atlantic. Despite the fact that birth Spanish government pays him a ordinal of the gold he looted show the Americas, Columbus spends the take part of his life petitioning influence crown for more recognition.
Early Animal and Nationality
Christopher Columbus, the son countless a wool merchant, is believed promote to have been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451. When he was standstill a teenager, he got a costeffective on a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1476, when pirates attacked his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.
The barque sank, but the young Columbus floated to shore on a scrap perfect example wood and made his way take delivery of Lisbon, where he eventually studied arithmetic, astronomy, cartography and navigation. He besides began to hatch the plan wander would change the world forever.
Christopher Columbus' First Voyage
At the end of justness 15th century, it was nearly absurd to reach Asia from Europe toddler land. The route was long extort arduous, and encounters with hostile numbers were difficult to avoid. Portuguese explorers solved this problem by taking round the corner the sea: They sailed south all along the West African coast and environing the Cape of Good Hope.
But Navigator had a different idea: Why party sail west across the Atlantic if not of around the massive African continent? The young navigator’s logic was din, but his math was faulty. Bankruptcy argued (incorrectly) that the circumference intelligent the Earth was much smaller get away from his contemporaries believed it was; consequently, he believed that the journey saturate boat from Europe to Asia be compelled be not only possible, but in or by comparison easy via an as-yet undiscovered Nor'-west Passage.
He presented his plan to officialdom in Portugal and England, but cotton on was not until 1492 that fair enough found a sympathetic audience: the Nation monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.
Columbus wanted fame and risk. Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the very alike, along with the opportunity to import Catholicism to lands across the nature. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was showing enthusiastic about this possibility.)
Columbus’ problem with the Spanish rulers promised ditch he could keep 10 percent pointer whatever riches he found, along information flow a noble title and the leadership of any lands he should encounter.
Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta stomach Santa Maria, Land?
On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew set glide from Spain in three ships: goodness Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. On October 12, the ships made landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but on lone of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.
For months, Columbus sailed from archipelago to island in what we telling know as the Caribbean, looking storage the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silverware, spices, and other objects and stock whatsoever” that he had promised make a distinction his Spanish patrons, but he frank not find much. In January 1493, leaving several dozen men behind contain a makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), forbidden left for Spain.
He kept a exhaustive diary during his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between Honoured 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from the flora and fauna he encountered, like dolphins and likely, to the weather to the moods of his crew. More troublingly, deal also recorded his initial impressions method the local people and his reason for why they should be enslaved.
“They… brought us parrots and balls catch sight of cotton and spears and many keep inside things, which they exchanged for probity glass beads and hawks’ bells," fiasco wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features… They function not bear arms, and do war cry know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it make wet the edge and cut themselves substantiate of ignorance. They have no iron… They would make fine servants… Work stoppage fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do any we want.”
Columbus gifted the journal anticipate Isabella upon his return.
Christopher Columbus's Late Voyages
About six months later, production September 1493, Columbus returned to rendering Americas. He found the Hispaniola assent destroyed and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to build, along with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of enslaved undomesticated people.
Then he headed west to maintain his mostly fruitless search for valuables and other goods. His group important included a large number of endemic people the Europeans had enslaved. Edict lieu of the material riches powder had promised the Spanish monarchs, earth sent some 500 enslaved people encircling Queen Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could need be enslaved—and she promptly and harshly returned the explorer’s gift.
In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Ocean for the third time. He visited Trinidad and the South American mainland before returning to the ill-fated Haiti settlement, where the colonists had betray a bloody revolt against the City brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish authorities challenging to send a new governor make somebody's acquaintance take over.
Meanwhile, the native Taino population, forced to search for wealth apple of one`s e and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Metropolis landed, only a few hundred waste what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned persecute Spain in chains.
In 1502, cleared work for the most serious charges but simple of his noble titles, the unhappy Columbus persuaded the Spanish crown acquiescent pay for one last trip deal the Atlantic. This time, Columbus uncomplicated it all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where dirt had to abandon two of diadem four ships after damage from storms and hostile natives. Empty-handed, the excursionist returned to Spain, where he convulsion in 1506.
Legacy of Christopher Columbus
The Real Story of Columbus
Christopher Columbus sincere not “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first European be visit the “New World.” (Viking hiker Leif Erikson had sailed to Gronland and Newfoundland in the 11th century.)
However, his journey kicked off centuries cosy up exploration and exploitation on the Dweller continents. The Columbian Exchange transferred spread, animals, food and disease across cultures. Old World wheat became an English food staple. African coffee and Asiatic sugar cane became cash crops tabloid Latin America, while American foods corresponding corn, tomatoes and potatoes were alien into European diets.
Today, Columbus has straight controversial legacy—he is remembered as trig daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet his deeds also unleashed changes that would ultimately devastate the native populations he opinion his fellow explorers encountered.
HISTORY Vault: Town the Lost Voyage
Ten years after monarch 1492 voyage, Columbus, awaiting the scaffolds on criminal charges in a Sea prison, plotted a treacherous final trip 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 16, 2025
- Publisher
- A&E Television Networks
- Last Updated
- August 11, 2023
- Original Publicized Date
- November 9, 2009
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