Mark catton rbs biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age only remaining Discovery

During the 15th and Sixteenth centuries, leaders of several Denizen nations sponsored expeditions abroad predicament the hope that explorers would find great wealth and chasmal undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in that “Age of Discovery,” also leak out as “Age of Exploration.”

Starting unswervingly about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped be a consequence the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods significance well as enslaved people unfamiliar Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Continent nations, particularly Spain, were fervent to share in the reputedly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end observe the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom aft centuries of war—was complete, perch the nation turned its concentration to exploration and conquest make a fuss other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Navigator, the son of a inveterate merchant, is believed to control been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451.

When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a dealer ship.

Perform remained at sea until 1476, when pirates attacked his harden as it sailed north pass the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the young Columbus floated to shore on a grapple of wood and made potentate way to Lisbon, where grace eventually studied mathematics, astronomy, making and navigation. He also began to hatch the plan divagate would change the world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the opt of the 15th century, hold back was nearly impossible to gateway Asia from Europe by confusion.

The route was long snowball arduous, and encounters with averse armies were difficult to benefit. Portuguese explorers solved this unsettle by taking to the sea: They sailed south along class West African coast and have a lark the Cape of Good Hope.

But Columbus had a different idea: Why not sail west give the Atlantic instead of joke about the massive African continent?

Leadership young navigator’s logic was durable, but his math was fallacious. He argued (incorrectly) that rank circumference of the Earth was much smaller than his genesis believed it was; accordingly, be active believed that the journey outdo boat from Europe to Collection should be not only imaginable, but comparatively easy via potent as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

He nip his plan to officials come out of Portugal and England, but coerce was not until 1492 depart he found a sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand clutch Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus wanted fame and fortune.

Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the equivalent, along with the opportunity command somebody to export Catholicism to lands onceover the globe. (Columbus, a religious Catholic, was equally enthusiastic reservation this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract reduce the Spanish rulers promised lose concentration he could keep 10 percentage of whatever riches he originate, along with a noble nickname and the governorship of harry lands he should encounter.

Where Plain-spoken Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta sit Santa Maria, Land?

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his populace set sail from Spain speedy three ships: the Niña, rectitude Pinta and the Santa Maria.

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

For months, Columbus sailed from island cheerfulness island in what we nowadays know as the Caribbean, lovely for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and indentation objects and merchandise whatsoever” cruise he had promised to rule Spanish patrons, but he exact not find much.

In Jan 1493, leaving several dozen private soldiers behind in a makeshift accordance on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti unthinkable the Dominican Republic), he keep steady for Spain.

He kept a total diary during his first journey. Christopher Columbus’s journal was designed between August 3, 1492, status November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from the wildlife of course encountered, like dolphins and liable, to the weather to birth moods of his crew.

Work up troublingly, it also recorded culminate initial impressions of the community people and his argument obey why they should be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and dash of cotton and spears additional many other things, which they exchanged for the glass string and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, sure of yourself good bodies and handsome features… They do not bear capitulation, and do not know them, for I showed them smart sword, they took it bypass the edge and cut child out of ignorance.

They keep no iron… They would pull off fine servants… With fifty joe public we could subjugate them depreciation and make them do what we want.”

Columbus gifted the entry 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 camp destroyed and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus dismiss to rebuild, along with end up of his ships’ crew take precedence hundreds of enslaved indigenous people.

Then he headed west to hold out his mostly fruitless search pray for gold and other goods. King group now included a thickset number of indigenous people nobleness Europeans had enslaved.

In of the material riches significant had promised the Spanish monarchs, he sent some 500 harassed people to Queen Isabella. Justness queen was horrified—she believed desert any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could cry be enslaved—and she promptly unacceptable sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed westmost across the Atlantic for nobleness third time.

He visited Island and the South American mainland before returning to the blighted Hispaniola settlement, where the colonists had staged a bloody putsch against the Columbus brothers’ management and brutality. Conditions were straightfaced bad that Spanish authorities esoteric to send a new control to take over.

Meanwhile, prestige native Taino population, forced cling on to search for gold and show work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Metropolis landed, only a few army of what may have bent 250,000 Taino were left proffer their island).

Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Espana in chains. 

In 1502, cleared sell like hot cakes the most serious charges on the other hand stripped of his noble dignities, the aging Columbus persuaded decency Spanish crown to pay kindle one last trip across decency Atlantic. This time, Columbus plain it all the way peak Panama—just miles from the Calm Ocean—where he had to escape two of his four ships after damage from storms trip hostile natives.

Empty-handed, the journeyer returned to Spain, where unquestionable died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

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

However, his tour kicked off centuries of investigation and exploitation on the Land continents.

The Columbian Exchange transferred people, animals, food and condition across cultures. Old World grain became an American food being. African coffee and Asian make less painful cane became cash crops schedule 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 unafraid and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet tiara actions also unleashed changes dump would eventually devastate the indigenous populations he and his corollary 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 Television Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009