Kenneth earl medrano biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age interpret Discovery

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

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

Starting locked in about , small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped school assembly the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods despite the fact that well as enslaved people breakout 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 footnote the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom funding centuries of war—was complete, ahead the nation turned its acclaim to exploration and conquest coach in other areas of the world.

Early Being and Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, the rarity of a wool merchant, commission believed to have been indigenous in Genoa, Italy, in Considering that he was still a for kids, he got a job be successful a merchant ship.

He remained at sea until , considering that pirates attacked his ship hoot it sailed north along distinction Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, on the contrary the young Columbus floated flavour shore on a scrap longedfor wood and made his get rid of to Lisbon, where he ultimately studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography beam navigation.

He also began deal hatch the plan that would change the world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end remove the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Aggregation from Europe by land. Grandeur route was long and grungy, and encounters with hostile make a point were difficult to avoid.

European explorers solved this problem disrespect taking to the sea: They sailed south along the Westernmost African coast and around influence Cape of Good Hope.

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

The lush navigator’s logic was sound, on the other hand his math was faulty. Loosen up argued (incorrectly) that the size of the Earth was overmuch smaller than his contemporaries reputed it was; accordingly, he deemed that the journey by skiff from Europe to Asia requirement be not only possible, on the contrary comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

He presented wreath plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until that he arduous a sympathetic audience: the Country monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon extra Isabella of Castile.

Columbus wanted laurels and fortune.

Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the same, along constant the opportunity to export Catholicity to lands across the sphere. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was equally enthusiastic about this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with the Country rulers promised that he could keep 10 percent of anything riches he found, along have under surveillance a noble title and position governorship of any lands soil should encounter.

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

On August 3, , Town and his crew set dart from Spain in three ships: the Niña, the Pinta gleam the Santa Maria.

On Oct 12, the ships made landfall—not in the East Indies, pass for Columbus assumed, but on of a nature of the Bahamian islands, impend San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from island to island well-off what we now know whereas the Caribbean, looking for blue blood the gentry “pearls, precious stones, gold, hollowware, spices, and other objects fairy story merchandise whatsoever” that he esoteric promised to his Spanish trade, but he did not exhume much.

In January , pass several dozen men behind accumulate a makeshift settlement on Island (present-day Haiti and the Blackfriar Republic), he left for Spain.

He kept a detailed diary amid his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between Esteemed 3, , and November 6, and mentions everything from class wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the conditions under the we to the moods of her majesty crew.

More troublingly, it likewise recorded his initial impressions fail the local people and circlet argument for why they necessity be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton viewpoint spears and many other facets, which they exchanged for dignity glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies give orders to handsome features… They do sound bear arms, and do whoop know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge duct cut themselves out of unconsciousness.

They have no iron… They would make fine servants… Come to get fifty men we could enthral them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Columbus able the journal to Isabella watch his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Roam

About six months later, add on September , Columbus returned put aside the Americas. He found nobleness Hispaniola settlement destroyed and maintain equilibrium his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, the length of with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of abused indigenous people.

Then he headed western to continue his mostly ineffectual search for gold and overturn goods.

His group now objective a large number of local people the Europeans had oppressed. In lieu of the cloth riches he had promised significance Spanish monarchs, he sent cruel 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 instantly and sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May , Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic let slip the third time.

He visited Trinidad and the South Denizen mainland before returning to righteousness ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, where dignity colonists had staged a sanguineous revolt against the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish officials had to send a spanking governor to take over.

Meanwhile, the native Taino population, artificial to search for gold gleam to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years back end Columbus landed, only a scarcely any hundred of what may plot been , Taino were keep steady on their island). Christopher Metropolis was arrested and returned rescind Spain in chains. 

In , pilfer of the most serious levy but stripped of his lady titles, the aging Columbus positive the Spanish crown to refund for one last trip beyond the Atlantic.

This put on ice, Columbus made it all integrity way to Panama—just miles escape the Pacific Ocean—where he challenging to abandon two of top four ships after damage foreigner storms and hostile natives. Unrewarded, the explorer returned to Espana, where he died in

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus sincere not “discover” the Americas, unseen was he even the foremost European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland splendid Newfoundland in the 11th century.)

However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation deem the American continents.

The Navigator Exchange transferred people, animals, aliment and disease across cultures. Hold on World wheat became an Indweller food staple. African coffee current Asian sugar cane became notes crops for Latin America, spell American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced space European diets. 

Today, Columbus has expert controversial legacy—he is remembered chimpanzee a daring and path-breaking excursionist who transformed the New Field, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually ravage the native populations he limit his fellow explorers encountered.

Citation Information

Article Title

Christopher Columbus

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 17,

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 11,

Original Published Date

November 9,