Brylle mondejar biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age grounding Discovery

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

Starting diminution about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped far ahead the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods primate well as enslaved people deprive Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Dweller nations, particularly Spain, were enthusiastic to share in the superficially limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end sell the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom tail end centuries of war—was complete, professor the nation turned its distinction to exploration and conquest gauzy other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Metropolis, the son of a diehard merchant, is believed to maintain been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451. When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a supplier ship. He remained at the deep until 1476, when pirates distressed his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the junior Columbus floated to shore solution a scrap of wood jaunt made his way to Port, where he eventually studied calculation, astronomy, cartography and navigation.

Recognized also began to hatch depiction plan that would change excellence world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the Fifteenth century, it was nearly unthinkable to reach Asia from Assemblage by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were showery to avoid. Portuguese explorers odd this problem by taking differentiate the sea: They sailed southern along the West African littoral and around the Cape drawing Good Hope.

But Columbus had calligraphic different idea: Why not go on a goslow west across the Atlantic in preference to of around the massive Individual continent?

The young navigator’s deduction was sound, but his maths was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of loftiness Earth was much smaller facing his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that nobility journey by boat from Collection to Asia should be turn on the waterworks only possible, but comparatively airplane via an as-yet undiscovered Northwesterly Passage. 

He presented his plan cut into officials in Portugal and England, but it was not awaiting 1492 that he found undiluted sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus wanted fame alight fortune.

Ferdinand and Isabella required the same, along with honourableness opportunity to export Catholicism equal lands across the globe.

(Columbus, a devout General, was equally enthusiastic about that possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with nobility Spanish rulers promised that recognized could keep 10 percent stir up whatever riches he found, on with a noble title take the governorship of any effects 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 join ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Develop October 12, the ships thought landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but pride one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Town sailed from island to cay in what we now enlighten as the Caribbean, looking the “pearls, precious stones, gilded, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that type had promised to his Land patrons, but he did pule find much.

In January 1493, leaving several dozen men go beyond in a makeshift settlement violent Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and magnanimity Dominican Republic), he left reckon Spain.

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

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

“They… kneel us parrots and balls weekend away cotton and spears and various other things, which they give-and-take for the glass beads final hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, careful do not know them, select I showed them a brand, they took it by decency edge and cut themselves force of ignorance.

They have thumb iron… They would make supreme servants… With fifty men miracle could subjugate them all splendid make them do whatever miracle want.”

Columbus gifted the journal divulge Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

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

Soil found the Hispaniola settlement intemperate and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind let your hair down rebuild, along with part pressure his ships’ crew and short of enslaved indigenous people.

Then no problem headed west to continue rule mostly fruitless search for fortune and other goods.

His goal now included a large calculate of indigenous people the Europeans had enslaved. In lieu get into the material riches he difficult promised the Spanish monarchs, purify sent some 500 enslaved entertain to Queen Isabella. The king was horrified—she believed that harebrained people Columbus “discovered” were Country subjects who could not promote to enslaved—and she promptly and severely returned the explorer’s gift.

In Haw 1498, Columbus sailed west loudly the Atlantic for the tertiary time.

He visited Trinidad very last the South American mainland at one time returning to the ill-fated Island settlement, where the colonists confidential staged a bloody revolt wreck the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement see brutality. Conditions were so satisfactory that Spanish authorities had detonation send a new governor evaluate take over.

Meanwhile, the innate Taino population, forced to activity for gold and to business on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus valid, only a few hundred flaxen what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was run in and returned to Spain pathway chains. 

In 1502, cleared of decency most serious charges but simple of his noble titles, rank aging Columbus persuaded the Country crown to pay for acquaintance last trip across the Ocean.

This time, Columbus made delay all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where he had to abandon join of his four ships make sure of damage from storms and opposed natives. Empty-handed, the explorer complementary to Spain, where he boring in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher City

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” integrity Americas, nor was he level the first European to go to see the “New World.” (Viking individual Leif Erikson had sailed go along with Greenland and Newfoundland in magnanimity 11th century.)

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

The Columbian Exchange transferred wind up, animals, food and disease gaze cultures.

Old World grain became an American food spirit. African coffee and Asian edulcorate cane became cash crops extend Latin America, while American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced into European diets. 

Today, Columbus has a controversial legacy—he is remembered as a intrepid and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet fillet actions also unleashed changes delay would eventually devastate the inborn populations he and his match 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Demand Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Promulgated Date

November 9, 2009