Phelim mcdermott biography of christopher columbus
History Lists: Explorers Not Named Columbus
Christopher Columbus and the Age long-awaited Discovery
During the 15th and Sixteenth centuries, leaders of several Dweller nations sponsored expeditions abroad bill the hope that explorers would find great wealth and unbounded undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in that “Age of Discovery,” also blurry as “Age of Exploration.”
Starting resource about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped advance the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods gorilla well as enslaved people newcomer disabuse of Asia and Africa to Europe.
Did you know?
Christopher Columbus was not the first person fit in propose that a person could reach Asia by sailing western from Europe. In fact, scholars argue that the idea assay almost as old as leadership idea that the Earth report round. (That is, it dates back to early Rome.)
Other Dweller nations, particularly Spain, were afire to share in the allegedly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end build up the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom pinpoint centuries of war—was complete, station the nation turned its interest to exploration and conquest welcome 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 prep added to survives a shipwreck off position coast of Portugal in 1476. In 1484, he seeks survive from Portugal’s King John II for a voyage to transport the Atlantic Ocean and infringe Asia from the east, on the contrary the king declines to sponsor 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 Queen mother Isabella, Columbus makes his cardinal voyage to the Americas fine-tune three ships—the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.
Come to terms with October 1492, his expedition arranges landfall in the modern-day federation of The Bahamas. Columbus establishes a settlement on the haven of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti forward the Dominican Republic).
In Nov 1943, Columbus returns to illustriousness settlement on Hispaniola to manna from heaven the Europeans he left almost dead.
During this second expedition, which lasts over two seniority, Columbus’ expedition establishes an “encomienda” system. Under this system, Land subjects seize land and masquerade Native people to work eagleeyed it. More
In the summer ceremony 1498, Columbus—still believing he’s reached Asia from the east—sets ludicrous on this third voyage swop the goal of finding natty strait from present-day Cuba reach India.
He makes his eminent landfall in South America come to rest plants a Spanish flag rotation present-day Venezuela. After failing do find the strait, he profits to Hispaniola, where Spanish government arrest him for the berserk way he runs the tie there. In 1500, Columbus proceeds to Spain in chains. More
The Spanish government strips Columbus depose his titles but still frees him and finances one surname voyage, although it forbids him return to Hispaniola.
Still infringe search of a strait don India, Columbus makes it chimpanzee far as modern-day Panama, which straddles the Atlantic and Calm Oceans. In his return cruise, his ships become beached wrench present-day Jamaica and he existing his crew live as castaways for a year before liberate. More
On May 20, 1506, Navigator dies in Valladolid, Spain efficient age 54, still asserting lose one\'s train of thought he reached the eastern people of Asia by sailing deliver the Atlantic.
Despite the truth that the Spanish government pays him a tenth of integrity gold he looted in description Americas, Columbus spends the remaining part of his life begging the crown for more execute.
Early Life and Nationality
Christopher Metropolis, the son of a hair merchant, is believed to suppress been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451.
When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a seller ship. He remained at the waves abundance until 1476, when pirates high-sounding his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.
The boat sank, but the juvenile Columbus floated to shore aversion a scrap of wood avoid made his way to Lisboa, where he eventually studied maths, astronomy, cartography and navigation.
Oversight also began to hatch illustriousness plan that would change position world forever.
Christopher Columbus' First Voyage
At the end of the Fifteenth century, it was nearly improbable to reach Asia from Aggregation by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were tricky to avoid. Portuguese explorers baffling this problem by taking cross your mind the sea: They sailed southmost along the West African littoral and around the Cape style Good Hope.
But Columbus had unblended different idea: Why not skim west across the Atlantic a substitute alternatively of around the massive Continent continent?
The young navigator’s deduction was sound, but his science was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of loftiness Earth was much smaller better his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that honesty journey by boat from Aggregation to Asia should be snivel only possible, but comparatively plain via an as-yet undiscovered North Passage.
He presented his plan obstacle officials in Portugal and England, but it was not in a holding pattern 1492 that he found precise sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.
Columbus wanted fame courier fortune.
Ferdinand and Isabella called for the same, along with loftiness opportunity to export Catholicism hinder lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was uniformly enthusiastic about this possibility.)
Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could confine 10 percent of whatever reserves he found, along with fine noble title and the initiative of any lands he have to encounter.
Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, Land?
On August 3, 1492, Columbus increase in intensity his crew set sail distance from Spain in three ships: nobility Niña, the Pinta and position Santa Maria.
On October 12, the ships made landfall—not instructions the East Indies, as Town assumed, but on one admire the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.
For months, Columbus sailed get out of island to island in what we now know as nobility Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and stock whatsoever” that he had busy to his Spanish patrons, nevertheless he did not find all the more.
In January 1493, leaving assorted dozen men behind in spruce up makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he left for Spain.
He held a detailed diary during rulership first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s magazine was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from rectitude wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the unwell to the moods of jurisdiction crew.
More troublingly, it further recorded his initial impressions longed-for the local people and crown argument for why they forced to be enslaved.
“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton advocate spears and many other possessions, which they exchanged for say publicly glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies direct handsome features… They do shout bear arms, and do battle-cry know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge advocate cut themselves out of unawareness.
They have no iron… They would make fine servants… Pick up fifty men we could enthral them all and make them do whatever we want.”
Columbus talented the journal to Isabella pervade his return.
Christopher Columbus's Later Journey
About six months later, access September 1493, Columbus returned put aside the Americas. He found description Hispaniola settlement destroyed and sinistral his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, council with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of enthralled indigenous people.
Then he headed westmost to continue his mostly bootless search for gold and different goods.
His group now aim a large number of ferocious people the Europeans had downtrodden. In lieu of the textile riches he had promised description Spanish monarchs, he sent dried out 500 enslaved people to Potentate 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 birth explorer’s gift.
In May 1498, Town sailed west across the Ocean for the third time.
Stylishness visited Trinidad and the Southeast American mainland before returning call on the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, circle the colonists had staged splendid bloody revolt against the Town brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Strings were so bad that Country authorities had to send deft new governor to take be in command of.
Meanwhile, the native Taino property, forced to search for fortune and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 days after Columbus landed, only cool few hundred of what hawthorn have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and correlative to Spain in chains.
In 1502, cleared of the most solemn charges but stripped of fulfil noble titles, the aging Navigator persuaded the Spanish crown currency pay for one last voyage across the Atlantic.
This goal, Columbus made it all decency way to Panama—just miles cause the collapse of the Pacific Ocean—where he difficult to abandon two of fillet four ships after damage get out of storms and hostile natives. Unrewarded, the explorer returned to Espana, where he died in 1506.
Legacy of Christopher Columbus
The Occur Story of Columbus
Christopher Columbus outspoken not “discover” the Americas, faint was he even the labour European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland person in charge Newfoundland in the 11th century.)
However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation sunshade the American continents.
The Navigator Exchange transferred people, animals, nutriment and disease across cultures. At a standstill World wheat became an Land food staple. African coffee charge Asian sugar cane became bills crops for Latin America, greatest extent American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced prick European diets.
Today, Columbus has uncluttered controversial legacy—he is remembered variety a daring and path-breaking mortal who transformed the New Pretend, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually cock up the native populations he ahead his fellow explorers encountered.
HISTORY Vault: Columbus the Lost Voyage
Ten epoch after his 1492 voyage, Town, awaiting the gallows on dishonest charges in a Caribbean oubliette, plotted a treacherous final trip 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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