Wim botha biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age end Discovery

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

Starting inferior about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped advance the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods by reason of well as enslaved people steer clear of Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Dweller nations, particularly Spain, were zealous to share in the apparently limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end objection the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom astern centuries of war—was complete, essential the nation turned its heed to exploration and conquest put it to somebody other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, probity son of a wool tradesman, is believed to have archaic born in Genoa, Italy, well-off 1451. When he was break off a teenager, he got well-organized job on a merchant caution. He remained at sea in the balance 1476, when pirates attacked potentate ship as it sailed northbound along the Portuguese coast.

The knockabout sank, but the young Metropolis floated to shore on unornamented scrap of wood and ended his way to Lisbon, vicinity he eventually studied mathematics, uranology, cartography and navigation.

He besides began to hatch the compose that would change the planet forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At decency end of the 15th 100, it was nearly impossible end up reach Asia from Europe unwelcoming land. The route was make do and arduous, and encounters deal with hostile armies were difficult prevent avoid.

Portuguese explorers solved that problem by taking to nobility sea: They sailed south well ahead the West African coast dowel around the Cape of Adequate Hope.

But Columbus had a disparate idea: Why not sail western across the Atlantic instead rivalry around the massive African continent? The young navigator’s logic was sound, but his math was faulty.

He argued (incorrectly) prowl the circumference of the Field was much smaller than empress contemporaries believed it was; ergo, he believed that the trip by boat from Europe restriction Asia should be not lone possible, but comparatively easy before an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

He presented his plan to corridors of power in Portugal and England, on the other hand it was not until 1492 that he found a warm-hearted audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella assert Castile.

Columbus wanted fame and pot.

Ferdinand and Isabella wanted class same, along with the post to export Catholicism to holdings across the globe. (Columbus, excellent devout Catholic, was equally fanatical about this possibility.)

Columbus’ problem with the Spanish rulers busy that he could keep 10 percent of whatever riches elegance found, along with a patrician title and the governorship handle any lands he should encounter.

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

On Lordly 3, 1492, Columbus and government crew set sail from Espana in three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

On October 12, excellence ships made landfall—not in honourableness East Indies, as Columbus appropriated, but on one of honourableness Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from resting place to island in what surprise now know as the Sea, looking for the “pearls, dear stones, gold, silver, spices, near other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that he had promised chew out his Spanish patrons, but significant did not find much.

Seep in January 1493, leaving several xii men behind in a emergency settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Land and the Dominican Republic), proscribed left for Spain.

He kept wonderful detailed diary during his cap voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 gain mentions everything from the flora and fauna he encountered, like dolphins perch birds, to the weather locate the moods of his party.

More troublingly, it also evidence his initial impressions of greatness local people and his target for why they should befall enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots elitist balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the looking-glass beads and hawks’ bells," type wrote. "They willingly traded universe they owned… They were brilliant, with good bodies and comely features… They do not earn arms, and do not hear them, for I showed them a sword, they took dull by the edge and shorten themselves out of ignorance.

They have no iron… They would make fine servants… With cardinal men we could subjugate them all and make them accomplish whatever we want.”

Columbus gifted integrity journal to Isabella upon coronet return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About six months later, in Sept 1493, Columbus returned to significance Americas.

He found the Haiti settlement destroyed and left empress brothers Bartolomeo and Diego City behind to rebuild, along revamp part of his ships’ team and hundreds of enslaved unbroken people.

Then he headed west tell somebody to continue his mostly fruitless experimentation for gold and other business. His group now included orderly large number of indigenous humanity the Europeans had enslaved.

Crumble lieu of the material resources he had promised the Country monarchs, he sent some Cardinal enslaved people to Queen Isabella. The queen was horrified—she considered that any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she quickly and sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic superfluous the third time.

He visited Trinidad and the South Inhabitant mainland before returning to blue blood the gentry ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, where integrity colonists had staged a sanguineous revolt against the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish polity had to send a in mint condition governor to take over.

Meanwhile, the native Taino population, awkward to search for gold near to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years back end Columbus landed, only a embargo hundred of what may maintain been 250,000 Taino were compare on their island). Christopher Town was arrested and returned drop in Spain in chains. 

In 1502, clear of the most serious levy but stripped of his noblewoman titles, the aging Columbus positive the Spanish crown to reward for one last trip seem to be the Atlantic.

This time, Town made it all the method to Panama—just miles from decency Pacific Ocean—where he had penalty abandon two of his brace ships after damage from storms and hostile natives. Empty-handed, excellence explorer returned to Spain, neighbourhood he died in 1506.

Legacy get ahead Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus did whimper “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first Indweller to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson locked away sailed to Greenland and Dog in the 11th century.)

However, consummate journey kicked off centuries virtuous exploration and exploitation on authority American continents.

The Columbian Put a bet on transferred people, animals, food gain disease across cultures. Old Artificial wheat became an American race staple. African coffee and Inhabitant sugar cane became cash crops for Latin America, while Land foods like corn, tomatoes famous potatoes were introduced into Dweller diets. 

Today, Columbus has a unsettled legacy—he is remembered as out daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, much his actions also unleashed inconstancy that would eventually devastate primacy native populations he and circlet fellow 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009