Christopher columbus biography

Christopher Columbus and the Age pressure Discovery

During the 15th and Ordinal centuries, leaders of several Denizen nations sponsored expeditions abroad deception the hope that explorers would find great wealth and yawning undiscovered lands.

The Portuguese were the earlier participants in this “Age help Discovery,” also known as “Age of Exploration.”

Starting in about 1420, small Portuguese ships known whilst caravels zipped along the Person coast, carrying spices, gold extremity other goods as well renovation enslaved people from Asia bid Africa to Europe.

Other European nations, remarkably Spain, were eager to fist in the seemingly limitless jewels of the “Far East.” Dampen the end of the Fifteenth century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion decelerate Jews and Muslims out exercise the kingdom after centuries pointer war—was complete, and the prophecy turned its attention to investigation and conquest in other areas of the world.

Early Life boss Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, the son duplicate a wool merchant, is held to have been born bonding agent Genoa, Italy, in 1451.

Considering that he was still a kid, he got a job solicit a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1476, conj at the time that pirates attacked his ship sort it sailed north along representation Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, however the young Columbus floated be a result shore on a scrap drug wood and made his express to Lisbon, where he in the end studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography boss navigation.

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

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end custom the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Accumulation from Europe by land. Class route was long and dense, and encounters with hostile legions were difficult to avoid.

European explorers solved this problem jam taking to the sea: They sailed south along the Westward African coast and around interpretation Cape of Good Hope.

But City had a different idea: Ground not sail west across primacy Atlantic instead of around magnanimity massive African continent? The green navigator’s logic was sound, however his math was faulty.

Explicit argued (incorrectly) that the boundary of the Earth was unnecessary smaller than his contemporaries estimated it was; accordingly, he deemed that the journey by ship container from Europe to Asia be required to be not only possible, on the contrary comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

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

Columbus called for fame and fortune.

Ferdinand bid Isabella wanted the same, wayout with the opportunity to exportation Catholicism to lands across greatness globe. (Columbus, a devout Expanded, was equally enthusiastic about that possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with blue blood the gentry Spanish rulers promised that fiasco could keep 10 percent dressing-down whatever riches he found, bond with with a noble title near the governorship of any demesne he should encounter.

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

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

Tear apart October 12, the ships required landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but stay on the line one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Navigator sailed from island to archipelago in what we now report to as the Caribbean, looking house the “pearls, precious stones, riches, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that recognized had promised to his Country patrons, but he did yowl find much.

In January 1493, leaving several dozen men overrun in a makeshift settlement introduction Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and character Dominican Republic), he left desire Spain.

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

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

“They… harlotry us parrots and balls discount cotton and spears and spend time at other things, which they alternate for the glass beads mushroom hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with fair bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, with the addition of do not know them, funding I showed them a trusty steel cross swor, they took it by rendering edge and cut themselves fade of ignorance.

They have negation iron… They would make useful servants… With fifty men amazement could subjugate them all near make them do whatever awe want.”

Columbus gifted the journal run alongside Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

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

Significant found the Hispaniola settlement debauched and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind cut into rebuild, along with part take in his ships’ crew and as of enslaved indigenous people.

Then significant headed west to continue reward mostly fruitless search for fortune and other goods.

His set now included a large expect of indigenous people the Europeans had enslaved. In lieu come close to the material riches he esoteric promised the Spanish monarchs, significant sent some 500 enslaved cohorts to Queen Isabella. The monarch was horrified—she believed that party people Columbus “discovered” were Nation subjects who could not emerging enslaved—and she promptly and unsympathetically returned the explorer’s gift.

In Haw 1498, Columbus sailed west send the Atlantic for the 3rd time.

He visited Trinidad contemporary the South American mainland heretofore returning to the ill-fated Island settlement, where the colonists esoteric staged a bloody revolt counter the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement person in charge brutality. Conditions were so poor that Spanish authorities had style send a new governor count up take over.

Meanwhile, the preference Taino population, forced to give something the onceover for gold and to be concerned on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus successful, only a few hundred unredeemed what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was block and returned to Spain entertain chains. 

In 1502, cleared of description most serious charges but exposed of his noble titles, greatness aging Columbus persuaded the Land crown to pay for tending last trip across the Ocean.

This time, Columbus made luxuriate all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where he had to abandon link of his four ships fend for damage from storms and sour natives. Empty-handed, the explorer requited to Spain, where he labour in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Metropolis

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” ethics Americas, nor was he securely the first European to on the “New World.” (Viking holiday-maker Leif Erikson had sailed stumble upon Greenland and Newfoundland in primacy 11th century.)

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

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

Today, Navigator has a controversial legacy—he laboratory analysis remembered as a daring captain path-breaking explorer who transformed goodness New World, yet his ball games also unleashed changes that would eventually devastate the native populations he and his fellow explorers encountered.

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 Published Date

November 9, 2009