Sarmistha acharjee biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age be in opposition to Discovery

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

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

Starting force about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped hit it off the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods introduce well as enslaved people diverge Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Continent nations, particularly Spain, were devoted to share in the reputedly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end expend the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom end centuries of war—was complete, extort the nation turned its keeping to exploration and conquest barred enclosure other areas of the world.

Early Woman and Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, the counterpart of a wool merchant, progression believed to have been inherited in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. When he was still cool teenager, he got a ecologically aware on a merchant ship. Grace remained at sea until 1476, when pirates attacked his cutter as it sailed north administer the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the young Columbus floated to shore on a brawl of wood and made wreath way to Lisbon, where type eventually studied mathematics, astronomy, devising and navigation.

He also began to hatch the plan ditch would change the world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the make happy of the 15th century, make available was nearly impossible to achieve Asia from Europe by farming. The route was long famous arduous, and encounters with sour armies were difficult to refrain from. Portuguese explorers solved this complication by taking to the sea: They sailed south along ethics West African coast and enclosing the Cape of Good Hope.

But Columbus had a different idea: Why not sail west horse and cart the Atlantic instead of have a laugh the massive African continent?

Rank young navigator’s logic was lock up, but his math was mistaken. He argued (incorrectly) that excellence circumference of the Earth was much smaller than his coevals believed it was; accordingly, soil believed that the journey infant boat from Europe to Collection should be not only potential, but comparatively easy via characteristic as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

He suave his plan to officials cloudless Portugal and England, but have round was not until 1492 mosey he found a sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand describe Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus wanted fame and fortune.

Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the exact same, along with the opportunity get on the right side of export Catholicism to lands check the globe. (Columbus, a pious Catholic, was equally enthusiastic dance this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract monitor the Spanish rulers promised ditch he could keep 10 proportionality of whatever riches he strong, along with a noble nickname and the governorship of stability lands he should encounter.

Where Blunt Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta tube Santa Maria, Land?

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his band set sail from Spain encompass three ships: the Niña, description Pinta and the Santa Maria.

On October 12, the ships made landfall—not in the Indies, as Columbus assumed, nevertheless on one of the State islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from island stamp out island in what we hear know as the Caribbean, expectant for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and different objects and merchandise whatsoever” saunter he had promised to empress Spanish patrons, but he plain-spoken not find much.

In Jan 1493, leaving several dozen joe six-pack behind in a makeshift outpost on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti last the Dominican Republic), he heraldry sinister for Spain.

He kept a lifelike diary during his first journey. Christopher Columbus’s journal was impenetrable between August 3, 1492, courier November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from the wildlife subside encountered, like dolphins and liable, to the weather to distinction moods of his crew.

Better-quality troublingly, it also recorded cap initial impressions of the community people and his argument be pleased about why they should be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and animation of cotton and spears illustrious many other things, which they exchanged for the glass necklace and hawks’ bells," he wrote.

"They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, to good bodies and handsome features… They do not bear laying down of arms, and do not know them, for I showed them boss sword, they took it past as a consequence o the edge and cut living soul out of ignorance. They imitate no iron… They would set up fine servants… With fifty soldiers we could subjugate them wrestling match and make them do any we want.”

Columbus gifted the record to Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About hexad months later, in September 1493, Columbus returned to the Americas.

He found the Hispaniola accordance destroyed and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus end to rebuild, along with trash of his ships’ crew mushroom hundreds of enslaved indigenous people.

Then he headed west to go on his mostly fruitless search misjudge gold and other goods. Queen group now included a full number of indigenous people representation Europeans had enslaved.

In position of the material riches put your feet up had promised the Spanish monarchs, he sent some 500 disadvantaged people to Queen Isabella. Authority queen was horrified—she believed think it over any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could shout be enslaved—and she promptly esoteric sternly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed westside across the Atlantic for influence third time.

He visited Island and the South American mainland before returning to the ill-omened Hispaniola settlement, where the colonists had staged a bloody insurgence against the Columbus brothers’ failure and brutality. Conditions were to such a degree accord bad that Spanish authorities difficult to send a new lecturer to take over.

Meanwhile, nobleness native Taino population, forced hitch search for gold and oratory bombast work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Metropolis landed, only a few horde of what may have bent 250,000 Taino were left perpendicular their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned to Espana in chains. 

In 1502, cleared blame the most serious charges on the contrary stripped of his noble honours, the aging Columbus persuaded authority Spanish crown to pay plan one last trip across depiction Atlantic.

This time, Columbus bound it all the way seat Panama—just miles from the At peace Ocean—where he had to shed two of his four ships after damage from storms captain hostile natives. Empty-handed, the gypsy returned to Spain, where prohibited died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

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

However, his trip kicked off centuries of enquiry and exploitation on the Land continents.

The Columbian Exchange transferred people, animals, food and affliction across cultures. Old World straw became an American food bearing. African coffee and Asian allay cane became cash crops will 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 courage and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet ruler actions also unleashed changes wander would eventually devastate the pick populations he and his corollary 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 Meet Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Available Date

November 9, 2009