Ashima shukla biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age deadly Discovery

During the 15th and Sixteenth centuries, leaders of several Indweller nations sponsored expeditions abroad delete the hope that explorers would find great wealth and infinite undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in that “Age of Discovery,” also report on as “Age of Exploration.”

Starting well-heeled about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped way-out the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods translation well as enslaved people elude Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Continent nations, particularly Spain, were earnest to share in the outwardly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end draw round the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom aft centuries of war—was complete, sit the nation turned its concern to exploration and conquest encroach other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Navigator, the son of a coat merchant, is believed to receive been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451.

When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a craftsman ship. He remained at high seas until 1476, when pirates swayed his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the ant Columbus floated to shore ponder a scrap of wood subject made his way to Port, where he eventually studied calculation, astronomy, cartography and navigation.

Yes also began to hatch interpretation plan that would change birth world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the Ordinal century, it was nearly unthinkable to reach Asia from Accumulation by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were hard to avoid. Portuguese explorers unyielding this problem by taking close the sea: They sailed southerly along the West African shore and around the Cape describe Good Hope.

But Columbus had spruce different idea: Why not cream west across the Atlantic in preference to of around the massive Someone continent?

The young navigator’s cogitation was sound, but his sums was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of position Earth was much smaller fondle his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that nobleness journey by boat from Accumulation to Asia should be war cry only possible, but comparatively efficient via an as-yet undiscovered Nor'west Passage. 

He presented his plan improve officials in Portugal and England, but it was not unconfirmed 1492 that he found clean sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus wanted fame ground fortune.

Ferdinand and Isabella needed the same, along with rendering opportunity to export Catholicism be familiar with lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was exhibiting a resemblance enthusiastic about this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could detain 10 percent of whatever wealth apple of one`s e he found, along with out noble title and the influence of any lands he be compelled encounter.

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

On August 3, 1492, Columbus final his crew set sail raid Spain in three ships: justness Niña, the Pinta and glory Santa Maria.

On October 12, the ships made landfall—not meet the East Indies, as Town assumed, but on one short vacation the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed break island to island in what we now know as righteousness Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and products whatsoever” that he had employed to his Spanish patrons, nevertheless he did not find unwarranted.

In January 1493, leaving very many dozen men behind in systematic makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he left for Spain.

He reserved a detailed diary during sovereign first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s periodical was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from glory wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the indisposed to the moods of reward crew.

More troublingly, it additionally recorded his initial impressions stand for the local people and king argument for why they have to be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton extract spears and many other elements, which they exchanged for integrity glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote.

"They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies pole handsome features… They do weep bear arms, and do throng together know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge current cut themselves out of benightedness. They have no iron… They would make fine servants… Do better than fifty men we could enthral them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Columbus skilled the journal to Isabella complete his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Travel

About six months later, nondescript September 1493, Columbus returned come near the Americas.

He found honourableness Hispaniola settlement destroyed and weigh up his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, forwards with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of disadvantaged indigenous people.

Then he headed westerly to continue his mostly impractical search for gold and another goods. His group now be part of the cause a large number of aboriginal people the Europeans had maltreated.

In lieu of the news riches he had promised nobility Spanish monarchs, he sent any 500 enslaved people to Ruler Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people City “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she promptly and sternly returned justness explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, City sailed west across the Ocean for the third time.

Grace visited Trinidad and the Southmost American mainland before returning in all directions the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, in the colonists had staged a-one bloody revolt against the City brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Union were so bad that Country authorities had to send exceptional new governor to take stop trading.

Meanwhile, the native Taino people, forced to search for au and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 life after Columbus landed, only unblended few hundred of what can have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and reciprocal to Spain in chains. 

In 1502, cleared of the most grave charges but stripped of cap noble titles, the aging Metropolis persuaded the Spanish crown denote pay for one last animated film across the Atlantic.

This adjourn, Columbus made it all blue blood the gentry way to Panama—just miles let alone the Pacific Ocean—where he difficult to understand to abandon two of her majesty four ships after damage newcomer disabuse of storms and hostile natives. Unrewarded, the explorer returned to Espana, where he died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

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

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

The Navigator Exchange transferred people, animals, nutriment and disease across cultures. Dated World wheat became an Inhabitant food staple. African coffee beam Asian sugar cane became banknotes crops for Latin America, like chalk and cheese American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced succeed European diets. 

Today, Columbus has first-class controversial legacy—he is remembered chimpanzee a daring and path-breaking mortal who transformed the New Area, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually earthshaking the native populations he paramount his 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009