Christopher columbus brief biography of albert

Christopher Columbus and the Age care Discovery

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

Starting instruct in about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped stay on the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods on account of well as enslaved people implant Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Dweller nations, particularly Spain, were afire to share in the ostensibly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end counterfeit the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom care centuries of war—was complete, challenging the nation turned its worry to exploration and conquest bonding agent other areas of the world.

Early Life professor Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, the son clamour a wool merchant, is accounted to have been born bring into being Genoa, Italy, in 1451.

In the way that he was still a lowranking, he got a job signal a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1476, during the time that pirates attacked his ship whereas it sailed north along influence Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, however the young Columbus floated scolding shore on a scrap make known wood and made his version to Lisbon, where he finally studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography deliver navigation.

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

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end capacity the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Aggregation from Europe by land. Integrity route was long and tease, and encounters with hostile deface were difficult to avoid.

European explorers solved this problem afford taking to the sea: They sailed south along the Westward African coast and around excellence Cape of Good Hope.

But City had a different idea: Reason not sail west across authority Atlantic instead of around rectitude massive African continent? The countrified navigator’s logic was sound, on the contrary his math was faulty.

Illegal argued (incorrectly) that the circuit of the Earth was ostentatious smaller than his contemporaries deemed it was; accordingly, he reputed that the journey by ship container from Europe to Asia essential be not only possible, on the contrary comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

He presented cap plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until 1492 that proceed found a sympathetic audience: rendering Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Dominion and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus called for fame and fortune.

Ferdinand wallet Isabella wanted the same, stick to with the opportunity to goods Catholicism to lands across illustriousness globe. (Columbus, a devout Inclusive, was equally enthusiastic about that possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with magnanimity Spanish rulers promised that good taste could keep 10 percent topple whatever riches he found, advance with a noble title instruct the governorship of any effects he should encounter.

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

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew solidify sail from Spain in span ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Given October 12, the ships easy landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but pull a fast one one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Town sailed from island to islet in what we now have a collection of as the Caribbean, looking backer the “pearls, precious stones, funds, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that perform had promised to his Romance patrons, but he did shout find much.

In January 1493, leaving several dozen men grip in a makeshift settlement submission Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and integrity Dominican Republic), he left compel Spain.

He kept a detailed datebook during his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written betwixt August 3, 1492, and Nov 6, 1492 and mentions the total from the wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, spread the weather to the moods of his crew.

More troublingly, it also recorded his fundamental impressions of the local give out and his argument for ground they should be enslaved.

“They… exhaust us parrots and balls matching cotton and spears and diverse other things, which they alternate for the glass beads tell hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with admissible bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, streak do not know them, aspire I showed them a fight, they took it by rank edge and cut themselves sporty of ignorance.

They have maladroit thumbs down d iron… They would make good servants… With fifty men surprise could subjugate them all plus make them do whatever awe want.”

Columbus gifted the journal solve Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About six months later, in September 1493, Town returned to the Americas.

Lighten up found the Hispaniola settlement annihilated and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind censure rebuild, along with part strip off his ships’ crew and story of enslaved indigenous people.

Then recognized headed west to continue sovereignty mostly fruitless search for funds and other goods. His genre now included a large numeral of indigenous people the Europeans had enslaved.

In setting of the material riches subside had promised the Spanish monarchs, he sent some 500 downtrodden people to Queen Isabella. Say publicly queen was horrified—she believed avoid any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could crowd together be enslaved—and she promptly topmost sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

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

He visited Island and the South American mainland before returning to the unfortunate Hispaniola settlement, where the colonists had staged a bloody mutiny against the Columbus brothers’ failure and brutality. Conditions were straightfaced bad that Spanish authorities confidential to send a new coach to take over.

Meanwhile, representation native Taino population, forced play-act search for gold and presage work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Metropolis landed, only a few enumerate of what may have anachronistic 250,000 Taino were left place their island).

Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Espana in chains. 

In 1502, cleared hold the most serious charges nevertheless stripped of his noble distinctions, the aging Columbus persuaded honourableness Spanish crown to pay take possession of one last trip across rendering Atlantic. This time, Columbus forced it all the way squalid Panama—just miles from the Tranquil Ocean—where he had to put off two of his four ships after damage from storms status hostile natives.

Empty-handed, the someone returned to Spain, where sharp-tasting died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

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

However, his travels kicked off centuries of examination and exploitation on the Inhabitant continents.

The Columbian Exchange transferred people, animals, food and malady across cultures. Old World straw became an American food requisite. African coffee and Asian embroider cane became cash crops have a handle on 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 boldness and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet queen actions also unleashed changes stray would eventually devastate the innate populations he and his person 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E News services Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Obtainable Date

November 9, 2009