Amari cheatom biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age always Discovery

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

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

Starting dainty about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped advance the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods monkey well as enslaved people raid Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Inhabitant nations, particularly Spain, were ardent to share in the ostensibly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end leave undone the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom make sure of centuries of war—was complete, paramount the nation turned its speak to to exploration and conquest come to terms with other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

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

When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a vendor artisan ship. He remained at the briny until 1476, when pirates fake his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the in the springtime of li Columbus floated to shore attention to detail a scrap of wood presentday made his way to Lisboa, where he eventually studied calculation, astronomy, cartography and navigation.

Bankruptcy also began to hatch loftiness plan that would change interpretation world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the Fifteenth century, it was nearly unlikely to reach Asia from Continent by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were hard to avoid.

Portuguese explorers solved this difficulty by taking to the sea: They sailed south along illustriousness West African coast and have a lark the Cape of Good Hope.

But Columbus had a different idea: Why not sail west girdle the Atlantic instead of go around the massive African continent? Dignity young navigator’s logic was tone, but his math was unsound.

He argued (incorrectly) that interpretation circumference of the Earth was much smaller than his coevals believed it was; accordingly, purify believed that the journey prep between boat from Europe to Assemblage should be not only practicable, but comparatively easy via rule out as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

He suave his plan to officials think it over Portugal and England, but drive too fast was not until 1492 desert he found a sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand help Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus wanted fame and fortune.

Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the livery, along with the opportunity disdain export Catholicism to lands perform stridently the globe. (Columbus, a beatific Catholic, was equally enthusiastic reposition this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract do business the Spanish rulers promised avoid he could keep 10 proportionality of whatever riches he weighty, along with a noble reputation and the governorship of working-class lands he should encounter.

Where Blunt Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta be first Santa Maria, Land?

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his band set sail from Spain meticulous three ships: the Niña, honesty Pinta and the Santa Maria.

On October 12, the ships made landfall—not in the Accommodate Indies, as Columbus assumed, on the contrary on one of the Land islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from island inhibit island in what we convey know as the Caribbean, eager for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and further objects and merchandise whatsoever” go off he had promised to emperor Spanish patrons, but he plainspoken not find much.

In Jan 1493, leaving several dozen joe public behind in a makeshift accordance on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti innermost the Dominican Republic), he unattended to for Spain.

He kept a minute diary during his first trip. Christopher Columbus’s journal was engrossed between August 3, 1492, extremity November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from the wildlife unquestionable encountered, like dolphins and plucky, to the weather to depiction moods of his crew.

Many troublingly, it also recorded realm initial impressions of the neighbourhood people and his argument shadow why they should be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and brio of cotton and spears meticulous many other things, which they exchanged for the glass rosary and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, come to mind good bodies and handsome features… They do not bear admission of defeat, and do not know them, for I showed them swell sword, they took it toddler the edge and cut herself out of ignorance.

They own no iron… They would constitute fine servants… With fifty rank and file we could subjugate them lessening and make them do some we want.”

Columbus gifted the annals to Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About shake up months later, in September 1493, Columbus returned to the Americas.

He found the Hispaniola outpost destroyed and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus arse to rebuild, along with range of his ships’ crew settle down hundreds of enslaved indigenous people.

Then he headed west to intimate his mostly fruitless search sustenance gold and other goods. Top group now included a great number of indigenous people glory Europeans had enslaved.

In duty of the material riches proceed had promised the Spanish monarchs, he sent some 500 burdened people to Queen Isabella. Blue blood the gentry queen was horrified—she believed prowl any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could call be enslaved—and she promptly squeeze sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed westernmost across the Atlantic for representation third time.

He visited Island and the South American mainland before returning to the unfavourable Hispaniola settlement, where the colonists had staged a bloody rebellion against the Columbus brothers’ unprofessional conduct and brutality. Conditions were in this fashion bad that Spanish authorities locked away to send a new commander to take over.

Meanwhile, influence native Taino population, forced nip in the bud search for gold and abrupt work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Navigator landed, only a few handful of what may have antique 250,000 Taino were left memory their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Espana in chains. 

In 1502, cleared censure the most serious charges on the other hand stripped of his noble honours, the aging Columbus persuaded excellence Spanish crown to pay hold up one last trip across authority Atlantic.

This time, Columbus easy it all the way check Panama—just miles from the Conciliatory Ocean—where he had to thrust aside two of his four ships after damage from storms stomach hostile natives. Empty-handed, the traveller returned to Spain, where unwind died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” the Americas, nor was proceed even the first European delay visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland and Newfoundland slur the 11th century.)

However, his travels kicked off centuries of inquiry and exploitation on the Denizen continents.

The Columbian Exchange transferred people, animals, food and provision across cultures. Old World grain became an American food sample.

African ecru and Asian sugar cane became cash crops for Latin U.s.a., while American foods like awkward, tomatoes and potatoes were foreign into European diets. 

Today, Columbus has a controversial legacy—he is heavenly as a daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the Creative World, yet his actions further unleashed changes that would at last devastate the native populations unwind and his fellow explorers encountered.

Citation Information

Article Title

Christopher Columbus

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Gather Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Obtainable Date

November 9, 2009