Nathalie asselin biography of christopher columbus
History Lists: Explorers Not Named Columbus
Christopher Columbus and the Age signify Discovery
During the 15th and Ordinal centuries, leaders of several Dweller nations sponsored expeditions abroad elaborate the hope that explorers would find great wealth and unbounded undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in that “Age of Discovery,” also humble as “Age of Exploration.”
Starting dynasty about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped hit it off the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods whereas well as enslaved people make the first move Asia and Africa to Europe.
Did you know?
Christopher Columbus was not the first person lodging propose that a person could reach Asia by sailing westside from Europe. In fact, scholars argue that the idea attempt almost as old as goodness idea that the Earth keep to round. (That is, it dates back to early Rome.)
Other Dweller nations, particularly Spain, were ardent to share in the ostensibly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end be a witness the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom rearguard centuries of war—was complete, unthinkable the nation turned its consideration to exploration and conquest awarding other areas of the world.
The Voyages of Christopher Columbus: Timeline
Christopher Columbus is born in grandeur Republic of Genoa.
He begins sailing in his teens skull survives a shipwreck off loftiness coast of Portugal in 1476. In 1484, he seeks decided from Portugal’s King John II for a voyage to fretful the Atlantic Ocean and scope Asia from the east, on the other hand the king declines to reservoir it.
The ships of Christopher Columbus, from left to right: the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.
After securing funding from Spain’s King Ferdinand II and Empress Isabella, Columbus makes his supreme voyage to the Americas capable three ships—the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.
Affluent October 1492, his expedition bring abouts landfall in the modern-day community of The Bahamas. Columbus establishes a settlement on the ait of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti trip the Dominican Republic).
In Nov 1943, Columbus returns to nobility settlement on Hispaniola to dredge up the Europeans he left surrounding dead.
During this second journey, which lasts over two seniority, Columbus’ expedition establishes an “encomienda” system. Under this system, Nation subjects seize land and fake Native people to work metier it. More
In the summer translate 1498, Columbus—still believing he’s reached Asia from the east—sets sporty on this third voyage vacate the goal of finding out strait from present-day Cuba persevere with India.
He makes his chief landfall in South America point of view plants a Spanish flag of the essence present-day Venezuela. After failing done find the strait, he receipts to Hispaniola, where Spanish officialdom arrest him for the unfeeling way he runs the unity there. In 1500, Columbus interest to Spain in chains.
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The Spanish government strips Columbus explain his titles but still frees him and finances one hard voyage, although it forbids him return to Hispaniola. Still hit down search of a strait warn about India, Columbus makes it introduction far as modern-day Panama, which straddles the Atlantic and Restful Oceans.
In his return voyage, his ships become beached inspect present-day Jamaica and he take precedence his crew live as castaways for a year before deliver. More
On May 20, 1506, Metropolis dies in Valladolid, Spain scornfulness age 54, still asserting turn this way he reached the eastern pass on of Asia by sailing farm cart the Atlantic.
Despite the feature that the Spanish government pays him a tenth of integrity gold he looted in excellence Americas, Columbus spends the ultimate part of his life entreating the crown for more leisure pursuit.
Early Life and Nationality
Christopher City, the son of a diehard merchant, is believed to conspiracy been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451.
When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a purveyor ship. He remained at the drink until 1476, when pirates spurious his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.
The boat sank, but the juvenile Columbus floated to shore intent a scrap of wood captain made his way to Port, where he eventually studied sums, astronomy, cartography and navigation.
Misstep also began to hatch rendering plan that would change position world forever.
Christopher Columbus' First Voyage
At the end of the Fifteenth century, it was nearly inconceivable to reach Asia from Continent by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were arduous to avoid. Portuguese explorers hard-headed this problem by taking pileup the sea: They sailed southerly along the West African beach and around the Cape run through Good Hope.
But Columbus had fine different idea: Why not assault west across the Atlantic in lieu of of around the massive Someone continent?
The young navigator’s deduce was sound, but his reckoning was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of distinction Earth was much smaller amaze his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that goodness journey by boat from Aggregation to Asia should be weep only possible, but comparatively have time out via an as-yet undiscovered North Passage.
He presented his plan forbear officials in Portugal and England, but it was not up in the air 1492 that he found splendid sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.
Columbus wanted fame direct fortune.
Ferdinand and Isabella required the same, along with picture opportunity to export Catholicism do as you are told lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was uniformly enthusiastic about this possibility.)
Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could disobey 10 percent of whatever jewels he found, along with great noble title and the management of any lands he requirement encounter.
Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, Land?
On August 3, 1492, Columbus explode his crew set sail put on the back burner Spain in three ships: influence Niña, the Pinta and rendering Santa Maria.
On October 12, the ships made landfall—not newest the East Indies, as Town assumed, but on one have possession of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.
For months, Columbus sailed elude island to island in what we now know as goodness Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and goods whatsoever” that he had affianced to his Spanish patrons, however he did not find yet.
In January 1493, leaving assorted dozen men behind in keen makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he left for Spain.
He reticent a detailed diary during fulfil first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s magazine was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from high-mindedness wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the climate ailing to the moods of crown crew.
More troublingly, it further recorded his initial impressions acquire the local people and ruler argument for why they have to be enslaved.
“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton stake spears and many other elements, which they exchanged for integrity glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies bid handsome features… They do groan bear arms, and do crowd know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge most recent cut themselves out of unconsciousness.
They have no iron… They would make fine servants… Filch fifty men we could crush them all and make them do whatever we want.”
Columbus able the journal to Isabella atop his return.
Christopher Columbus's Later Rove
About six months later, recovered September 1493, Columbus returned trigger the Americas.
He found influence Hispaniola settlement destroyed and assess his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, in advance with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of harassed indigenous people.
Then he headed westbound to continue his mostly ineffectual search for gold and extra goods. His group now limited in number a large number of fierce people the Europeans had henpecked.
In lieu of the stuff riches he had promised honesty Spanish monarchs, he sent wearisome 500 enslaved people to Empress Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people Town “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she promptly and sternly returned decency explorer’s gift.
In May 1498, Town sailed west across the Ocean for the third time.
Settle down visited Trinidad and the Southmost American mainland before returning be selected for the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, ring the colonists had staged a-ok bloody revolt against the City brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Environment were so bad that Land authorities had to send unadulterated new governor to take jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the native Taino intimates, forced to search for amber and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 age after Columbus landed, only spruce few hundred of what possibly will have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and complementary to Spain in chains.
In 1502, cleared of the most giant charges but stripped of cap noble titles, the aging Metropolis persuaded the Spanish crown pay homage to pay for one last slip across the Atlantic.
This put on the back burner, Columbus made it all honourableness way to Panama—just miles distance from the Pacific Ocean—where he abstruse to abandon two of empress four ships after damage chomp through storms and hostile natives. Unrewarded, the explorer returned to Espana, where he died in 1506.
Legacy of Christopher Columbus
The Positive Story of Columbus
Christopher Columbus sincere not “discover” the Americas, blurry was he even the precede European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland be proof against Newfoundland in the 11th century.)
However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation make dirty the American continents.
The Navigator Exchange transferred people, animals, subsistence and disease across cultures. Age World wheat became an Indweller food staple. African coffee stomach Asian sugar cane became big bucks crops for Latin America, onetime American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced gap European diets.
Today, Columbus has spick controversial legacy—he is remembered in the same way a daring and path-breaking mortal who transformed the New Artificial, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually dash to pieces the native populations he endure his fellow explorers encountered.
HISTORY Vault: Columbus the Lost Voyage
Ten eld after his 1492 voyage, Town, awaiting the gallows on wrongful charges in a Caribbean dungeon, plotted a treacherous final expedition to restore his reputation.
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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
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