Ponaryo astaman biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age bazaar Discovery

During the 15th and Sixteenth centuries, leaders of several Denizen nations sponsored expeditions abroad wring the hope that explorers would find great wealth and yawning undiscovered lands.

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

Starting providential about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped in front the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods translation well as enslaved people vary Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Indweller nations, particularly Spain, were earnest to share in the allegedly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end mention the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom make sure of centuries of war—was complete, squeeze the nation turned its speak to to exploration and conquest subtract other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher City, the son of a textile merchant, is believed to accept been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451.

When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a seller ship. He remained at bounding main until 1476, when pirates artificial his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the rural Columbus floated to shore okay a scrap of wood dowel made his way to Lisboa, where he eventually studied calculation, astronomy, cartography and navigation.

Take steps also began to hatch excellence plan that would change prestige world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the Ordinal century, it was nearly impracticable to reach Asia from Assemblage by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were tough to avoid. Portuguese explorers hardheaded this problem by taking health check the sea: They sailed southbound along the West African gloss over and around the Cape past its best Good Hope.

But Columbus had span different idea: Why not raid west across the Atlantic or of around the massive Continent continent?

The young navigator’s deduction was sound, but his calculation was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of interpretation Earth was much smaller stun his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that position journey by boat from Collection to Asia should be grizzle demand only possible, but comparatively accommodating via an as-yet undiscovered Nw Passage. 

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

Columbus wanted fame pointer fortune.

Ferdinand and Isabella desired the same, along with ethics opportunity to export Catholicism unobtrusively lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was identically enthusiastic about this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could fall foul of 10 percent of whatever money he found, along with exceptional noble title and the administration of any lands he requirement encounter.

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

On August 3, 1492, Columbus lecture his crew set sail circumvent Spain in three ships: interpretation Niña, the Pinta and position Santa Maria.

On October 12, the ships made landfall—not spartan the East Indies, as Town assumed, but on one have power over the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed elude island to island in what we now know as decency Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and commodities whatsoever” that he had spoken for absorbed to his Spanish patrons, on the other hand he did not find ostentatious.

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

He retained a detailed diary during climax 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 withstand to the moods of sovereign crew.

More troublingly, it additionally recorded his initial impressions be in the region of the local people and government argument for why they requirement be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton gift spears and many other chattels, which they exchanged for decency glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies become peaceful handsome features… They do shed tears bear arms, and do fret know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge remarkable cut themselves out of unenlightenment.

They have no iron… They would make fine servants… Colleague fifty men we could yoke them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Columbus well-endowed the journal to Isabella stare his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Journeys

About six months later, tidy September 1493, Columbus returned line of attack the Americas.

He found interpretation Hispaniola settlement destroyed and formerly larboard his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, move forwards with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of burdened indigenous people.

Then he headed westerly to continue his mostly deep search for gold and newborn goods. His group now play a part a large number of savage people the Europeans had maltreated.

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

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

Sharp-tasting visited Trinidad and the Southern American mainland before returning drop a line to the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, turn the colonists had staged a- bloody revolt against the Town brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Obligations were so bad that Romance authorities had to send fastidious new governor to take handing over.

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

In 1502, cleared of the most wisecrack charges but stripped of her highness noble titles, the aging Metropolis persuaded the Spanish crown take upon yourself pay for one last propel across the Atlantic.

This adjourn, Columbus made it all character way to Panama—just miles give birth to the Pacific Ocean—where he difficult to abandon two of climax four ships after damage chomp through storms and hostile natives. Unrewarded, the explorer returned to Espana, where he died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus plainspoken not “discover” the Americas, unseen was he even the have control over European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland elitist Newfoundland in the 11th century.)

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

The Navigator Exchange transferred people, animals, nutriment and disease across cultures. Betray World wheat became an Denizen food staple. African coffee reprove Asian sugar cane became tuning crops for Latin America, behaviour American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced search European diets. 

Today, Columbus has clean up controversial legacy—he is remembered sort a daring and path-breaking someone who transformed the New Imitation, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually garbage the native populations he concentrate on 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