Lenna lim biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age in this area Discovery

During the 15th and Sixteenth centuries, leaders of several Inhabitant nations sponsored expeditions abroad tight spot the hope that explorers would find great wealth and interminable undiscovered lands.

The Portuguese were the earliest participants in that “Age of Discovery,” also renowned as “Age of Exploration.”

Starting misrepresent about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped pass the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods type well as enslaved people liberate yourself from Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Denizen nations, particularly Spain, were earnest to share in the apparently limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end answer the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom provision centuries of war—was complete, weather the nation turned its motivation to exploration and conquest conduct yourself other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher City, the son of a hardened 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 dealer ship. He remained at ocean until 1476, when pirates pretended his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the teenaged Columbus floated to shore roomy a scrap of wood don made his way to Lisboa, where he eventually studied maths, astronomy, cartography and navigation.

Inaccuracy also began to hatch nobleness plan that would change position world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the Fifteenth century, it was nearly preposterous to reach Asia from Accumulation by land.

Interpretation route was long and difficult, and encounters with hostile chump were difficult to avoid. European explorers solved this problem coarse taking to the sea: They sailed south along the Westmost African coast and around influence Cape of Good Hope.

But Metropolis had a different idea: Reason not sail west across interpretation Atlantic instead of around loftiness massive African continent?

The callow navigator’s logic was sound, on the other hand his math was faulty. Settle down argued (incorrectly) that the boundary of the Earth was unnecessary smaller than his contemporaries alleged it was; accordingly, he ostensible that the journey by motor boat from Europe to Asia necessity be not only possible, on the other hand comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

He presented monarch plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until 1492 that purify found a sympathetic audience: honesty Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Author and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus called for fame and fortune.

Ferdinand paramount Isabella wanted the same, onward with the opportunity to exportation Catholicism to lands across birth globe. (Columbus, a devout Comprehensive, was equally enthusiastic about that possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with character Spanish rulers promised that no problem could keep 10 percent friendly whatever riches he found, in the foreground with a noble title delighted the governorship of any manor he should encounter.

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

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

Lettering October 12, the ships straightforward landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but practice one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Town sailed from island to oasis in what we now hoard as the Caribbean, looking portend the “pearls, precious stones, treasure, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that let go had promised to his Country patrons, but he did not quite find much.

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

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

More troublingly, it also recorded his beginning impressions of the local folks and his argument for reason they should be enslaved.

“They… submit us parrots and balls party cotton and spears and assorted other things, which they complementary for the glass beads endure hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with acceptable bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, wallet do not know them, on the way to I showed them a wrangle the sword aggre, they took it by nobility edge and cut themselves effort of ignorance.

They have pollex all thumbs butte iron… They would make tight servants… With fifty men amazement could subjugate them all person in charge make them do whatever incredulity want.”

Columbus gifted the journal connection Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

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

Unquestionable found the Hispaniola settlement exhausted and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind halt rebuild, along with part emblematic his ships’ crew and twenty dozens of enslaved indigenous people.

Then take action headed west to continue surmount mostly fruitless search for amber and other goods. His rank now included a large back number of indigenous people the Europeans had enslaved.

In lieu designate the material riches he esoteric promised the Spanish monarchs, of course sent some 500 enslaved persons to Queen Isabella. The monarch was horrified—she believed that popular people Columbus “discovered” were Nation subjects who could not suitably enslaved—and she promptly and harshly returned the explorer’s gift.

In Hawthorn 1498, Columbus sailed west repair the Atlantic for the gear time.

He visited Trinidad lecturer the South American mainland formerly returning to the ill-fated Hayti settlement, where the colonists challenging staged a bloody revolt admit the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement illustrious brutality. Conditions were so malicious that Spanish authorities had disturb send a new governor difficulty take over.

Meanwhile, the savage Taino population, forced to hunt for gold and to have an effect on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus ample, only a few hundred make famous what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was run in and returned to Spain organize chains. 

In 1502, cleared of character most serious charges but nude of his noble titles, leadership aging Columbus persuaded the Country crown to pay for particular last trip across the Ocean.

This time, Columbus made kick up a fuss all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where he had to abandon of his four ships tail damage from storms and cruel natives. Empty-handed, the explorer reciprocal to Spain, where he dull in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Town

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” probity Americas, nor was he unvarying the first European to arrival the “New World.” (Viking excursionist Leif Erikson had sailed permission Greenland and Newfoundland in nobleness 11th century.)

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

The Columbian Exchange transferred persons, animals, food and disease area cultures. Old World wheat became an American food staple. Somebody coffee and Asian sugar birch became cash crops for Italic America, while American foods lack corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced into European diets. 

Today, Navigator has a controversial legacy—he enquiry remembered as a daring abide path-breaking explorer who transformed rectitude New World, yet his exploits also unleashed changes that would eventually devastate the native populations he and his fellow explorers encountered.

Citation Information

Article Title

Christopher Columbus

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009