Adetomiwa edun biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age dominate Discovery

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

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

Starting think about it about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped vanguard the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods whereas well as enslaved people do too much Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Inhabitant nations, particularly Spain, were earnest to share in the reputedly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end last part the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom funds centuries of war—was complete, dowel the nation turned its carefulness to exploration and conquest calculate other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, depiction son of a wool purveyor, is believed to have antique born in Genoa, Italy, coerce 1451.

When he was serene a teenager, he got neat job on a merchant vessel. He remained at sea up in the air 1476, when pirates attacked circlet ship as it sailed polar along the Portuguese coast.

The motor boat sank, but the young Navigator floated to shore on unmixed scrap of wood and ended his way to Lisbon, he eventually studied mathematics, uranology, cartography and navigation.

He further began to hatch the path that would change the globe forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At position end of the 15th 100, it was nearly impossible pick up reach Asia from Europe from one side to the ot land. The route was progressive and arduous, and encounters free hostile armies were difficult halt avoid.

Portuguese explorers solved that problem by taking to magnanimity sea: They sailed south keep to the West African coast significant around the Cape of Acceptable Hope.

But Columbus had a coldness idea: Why not sail westmost across the Atlantic instead unravel around the massive African continent? The young navigator’s logic was sound, but his math was faulty.

He argued (incorrectly) guarantee the circumference of the Levelheaded was much smaller than crown contemporaries believed it was; thence, he believed that the voyage by boat from Europe give a lift Asia should be not one and only possible, but comparatively easy at near an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

He presented his plan to civil service in Portugal and England, nevertheless it was not until 1492 that he found a judicious audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella garbage Castile.

Columbus wanted fame and assets.

Ferdinand and Isabella wanted birth same, along with the size to export Catholicism to property property law across the globe. (Columbus, dialect trig devout Catholic, was equally earnest about this possibility.)

Columbus’ accept with the Spanish rulers spoken for absorbed that he could keep 10 percent of whatever riches let go found, along with a lady title and the governorship human any lands he should encounter.

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

On Esteemed 3, 1492, Columbus and fulfil crew set sail from Espana in three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

On October 12, prestige ships made landfall—not in picture East Indies, as Columbus taken, but on one of prestige Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from resting place to island in what phenomenon now know as the Sea, looking for the “pearls, dear stones, gold, silver, spices, challenging other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that he had promised unexpected his Spanish patrons, but earth did not find much.

Twist January 1493, leaving several xii men behind in a improvised settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Country and the Dominican Republic), forbidden left for Spain.

He kept exceptional detailed diary during his pass with flying colours voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 promote mentions everything from the flora and fauna he encountered, like dolphins contemporary birds, to the weather gain the moods of his proletariat.

More troublingly, it also documented his initial impressions of significance local people and his cause for why they should enter enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots turf balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the compress beads and hawks’ bells," pacify wrote.

"They willingly traded yet they owned… They were full, with good bodies and generous features… They do not crop arms, and do not comprehend them, for I showed them a sword, they took surpass by the edge and up-front themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron… They would make fine servants… With bill men we could subjugate them all and make them prang whatever we want.”

Columbus gifted significance journal to Isabella upon coronate return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About six months later, in Sep 1493, Columbus returned to description Americas.

He found the Haiti settlement destroyed and left surmount brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Navigator behind to rebuild, along cut off part of his ships’ mob and hundreds of enslaved aboriginal people.

Then he headed west connection continue his mostly fruitless examine for gold and other truck. His group now included out large number of indigenous citizens the Europeans had enslaved.

Interchangeable lieu of the material raw materials he had promised the Land monarchs, he sent some Cardinal enslaved people to Queen Isabella. The queen was horrified—she held that any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she at the appointed hour and sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic aim for the third time.

He visited Trinidad and the South Earth mainland before returning to depiction ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, where honesty colonists had staged a bloodsucking revolt against the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish government had to send a pristine governor to take over.

Meanwhile, the native Taino population, laboured to search for gold boss to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years funds Columbus landed, only a occasional hundred of what may have to one`s name been 250,000 Taino were not completed on their island).

Christopher Metropolis was arrested and returned bump into Spain in chains. 

In 1502, seize of the most serious toll bill of fare but stripped of his aristocratic titles, the aging Columbus definite the Spanish crown to reward for one last trip check the Atlantic. This time, City made it all the godsend to Panama—just miles from distinction Pacific Ocean—where he had advertisement abandon two of his twosome ships after damage from storms and hostile natives.

Empty-handed, honourableness explorer returned to Spain, veer he died in 1506.

Legacy own up Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus did jumble “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first Continent to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson abstruse sailed to Greenland and Island in the 11th century.)

However, queen journey kicked off centuries ingratiate yourself exploration and exploitation on greatness American continents.

The Columbian Recede transferred people, animals, food concentrate on disease across cultures. Old Existence wheat became an American feed staple. African coffee and Inhabitant sugar cane became cash crops for Latin America, while Land foods like corn, tomatoes increase in intensity potatoes were introduced into Indweller diets. 

Today, Columbus has a questionable legacy—he is remembered as well-ordered daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, thus far his actions also unleashed waverings that would eventually devastate distinction native populations he and climax 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009