We all learned at school that Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492. Columbus takes a glorious position in American history; we’ve named places after him, made countless movies and books about him and his great exploits, and even have statues of him. But there’s a slight problem here: Columbus did not actually discover America. That’s right. He never set foot in North America. What's more, he insisted until the day he died that he had found his way to Asia (his original destination), not found a place unknown to Europeans. So, if Columbus didn’t land in America, what’s left? Did he even do anything important? Why is he Time’s Person of the year? Here is the true story of Christopher Columbus. The Age of Exploration was a period from …show more content…
the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century, during which European ships were traveled around the world to search for new trading routes and partners to increase capitalism in Europe. In the process, Europeans encountered peoples and mapped lands previously unknown to them. Columbus was one of the many Europeans to do so. Basically, he departed from Spain, intending to a shorter route to Asia, legendary for their precious spices and gold. Sounds exciting, right? Well, instead, he would disembark in the Bahamas, and breathe his last breath blissfully oblivious to his mistake.
And never find the spices and gold he’d wanted. So, why did he end up in the wrong place? Columbus believed that there might be an easier and more profitable route to Japan, China, and the East Indies by sailing west. After many attempts to secure government support for an expedition from monarchs, Columbus managed to procure the needed financial backing in 1492 from Spanish Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. Setting off for Asia, his miscalculation in planning the route landed him in the Bahamas. "I saw that they were very friendly to us, and perceived that they could be much more easily converted to our holy faith by gentle means than by force, I presented them with some red caps, and strings of beads to wear upon the neck, and many other trifles of small value … [they brought] parrots, balls of cotton thread, javelins, and many other things which they exchanged for articles we gave them, such as glass beads, and hawk's bells; which trade was carried on with the utmost good will”, remarked Columbus in a letter. “All whom I saw were young, not above thirty years of age … Some paint the face, and some the whole body; others only the eyes, and others the …show more content…
nose. Weapons they have none, nor are acquainted with them, for I showed them swords which they grasped by the blades, and cut themselves through ignorance. They have no iron, their javelins being without it, and nothing more than sticks, though some have fish-bones or other things at the ends." He clearly found his race superior to that of the Natives, saying that "they are without warlike instincts; they all go naked, and are so timid that a thousand would not stand before three of our men…they should be taught to go about clothed and to adopt our customs." Columbus wanted to make the Natives his servants, saying, "It appears to me, that the people are ingenious, and would be good servants and I am of opinion that they would very readily become Christians, as they appear to have no religion." Essentially, Columbus found himself superior to the Natives, and believed they should b converted to the Christian faith, while trading with them. Michele de Cuneo, who accompanied Columbus on his voyage, said "While I was in the boat, I captured a very beautiful woman, whom the Lord Admiral [Columbus] gave to me. When I had taken her to my cabin she was naked — as was their custom. I was filled with a desire to take my pleasure with her and attempted to satisfy my desire. She was unwilling…I then took a piece of rope and whipped her soundly, and she let forth such incredible screams that you would not have believed your ears." Based off this account, it can be concluded that Columbus kidnapped a native woman and gave her to a crew member to rape.
The image we are given of Columbus is an image of bravery and leadership. He became well-known and had a noble title, but eventually lost his glory and was arrested because he was a bad leader in the Hispaniola settlement. Maybe he was brave. But he was a neglectful leader and immoral, twisted man. Columbus ruined the lives of the Natives. He invaded their territory and dehumanized them. However, his conquest gave rise to years of exploration and exploitation in the Americas. Regardless of how one feels about Columbus - hero or villain - his voyages cannot be dismissed as unimportant. Unlike all who came before him, Columbus opened a floodgate of follow-on explorers, armed forces and, eventually, permanent immigrants. They all helped create the United States. National origins stories are funny things. They are designed to make us feel good about ourselves, to make us feel special and to give us a shared unity and identity - but they rarely bear much resemblance to historical reality. No one person "discovered"
America. What the accepted historical and archaeological evidence suggests is that, from the start, this hemisphere has been a place of immigrants of many different faiths, ethnicities and skin colors. Columbus saw his status rise beyond earlier explorers, however, because he filled the young nation's need for an individual hero. He ticked all the right boxes: European, Christian and male. The results of his explorations were unfortunate for the original population of the regions he and his conquistadors conquered. Europeans persisted in stealing natural resources from these territories. Disease brought by the Europeans diminished the population of natives. The Americas were eternally transformed and the once rich cultures of the Native American people were altered and forgotten, hindering the world from completely understanding even their existence. Today, Columbus has a controversial legacy—he is remembered as a daring explorer who supposedly discover North America (which he didn't set foot in), yet his exploits also let loose changes that would ultimately demolish the native populations he and his conquistadors encountered.
Some of the problems when studying history are the texts and documents that have been discovered are only from perspective. Furthermore, on occasion that one perspective is all there may be for historians to study. A good example of this textual imbalance can be found from the texts about the discovery of the New World; more specifically, the letters of Christopher Columbus and Pêro Vaz de Caminha during their voyages to the New World. Plenty of the text from this time is written from the perspective of the Europeans, as the Indigenous population did not have any written text. What this means is that it provided only one perspective, which can drastically hinder how history is interpreted. Columbus’s letter of his first voyage to the Caribbean
He left from Spain with six ships, three to deliver supplies to the colonies in the New World, and three for the exploration to find a more direct route to Asia, which Columbus believed he would find. He sailed to the Canary islands, then west across the Atlantic. On this voyage, Columbus got stuck in the “horse latitudes”, areas where the wind is especially calm. During this time, the crews ran low on water. They reached land on the 31th of July, in present day Trinidad. The quantity of fresh water entering the ocean had Columbus conclude he was on a continent. He concluded that the “Garden of Eden” was on this new continent. In the next months, Columbus continued to explore the surrounding areas, looking for gold and the Garden of Eden. Columbus sailed to one of his previous settlements to find citizens there rebelling against the tyrannic rule he had established there. The exact date of his return to Europe was unknown, however in 1500, the Spanish crown stripped him of his Governor
Christopher Columbus was a European explorer who a more fitting title would be a conqueror. He didn't discover anything as the common believe would say, rather he conquered already inhabited land. Christopher Columbus "exploration" had a bunch of direct and indirect effects. The exploration sponsored by the King and Queen of Spain had direct effects such as giving Spain control over new land and giving Christopher Columbus the fame he so desired, furthermore the so-called exploration also had some indirect effects such as allowing other nations to sail West and it also affected the Natives and increased the slave trade.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus unintentionally discovered America, when he landed in the Caribbean Islands, while looking for a direct sea route to Asia. Despite the fact that Columbus believed he had found a direct sea route to India, he has been called the discoverer of America and hailed as a hero. More recently, however, he has been called a villain, with accusations saying that not only did he not discover America, but also that he was the cause of slavery and oppression in the Americas. These allegations are absurd and lack logical evidence.
Columbus does not deserve to be praised for the discovery of America. In short, if he didn't do it, someone else would have within 10 years. He was not the only one who believed that the earth was round, and the ideas of similar voyages had been previously proposed.
Although, Columbus may have done some bad things to America, he helped England, Spain, and all people to this day. When he discovered America he made it known, allowing people to travel there and begin a new life. Lots of countries honor Columbus, especially Spain. For his discovery we wouldn’t be where we are now, we might have still believed the world was flat. From the author of “Sail On!” he says “Columbus’ voyage made America known to the people of Europe. This truly changed the world. It is why Columbus is honored.”He will be honored for the good things we don’t need to ponder on the
Columbus' original plan was to prove that early geographers were wrong and that the world was larger than computed (William Howarth). He had sponsorship from the King and Queen of Spain who were finally convinced by Columbus by his belief that he was a divine missionary, ordained by God to spread Christianity (P. J. Riga). When he got to the New World he had found that there was the possibility that there might be an abundance of gold, and gold was the commodity Columbus pursued with obsessive zeal (William Howarth). It would seem to be an item that he had a lust for more than anything. An elder on Tortuga described "within a hundred or more ...
He was intending to reach Asia by sailing west rather than taking the traditional route around the Cape of Good Horn. On October 12, 1492, Columbus and his men landed on an island in the Bahamas. “As European adventurers traversed the world in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries they initiated the “Columbian Exchange” of plants, animals, and diseases. ”(P. 26). The Columbian Exchange refers to a period of exchanges between the New and Old Worlds.
Columbus’ goal in his mission to America was somewhat heroic: “Christian missionary and anti-Islamic fervour, the power of Castile and Aragon, the fear of Portugal, the lust for gold, the desire for adventure, the hope of conquests, and Europe’s genuine need for a reliable supply of herbs and spices for cooking, preserving, and medicine all combined to produce an explosion of energy that launched the first voyage” (Flint). Although Columbus’ mission may have been heroic, what really matters is what Columbus did when he got to America, which was kidnap, enslave, and kill Native
Many Americans honor Christopher Columbus Day as a holiday that celebrates his discovery of the New World on October 12, 1492. Some make the argument that Columbus is not to be considered a hero because of his actions. However, this day celebrates his discovery but not his mistakes after. His findings brought new knowledge to the Old World, profited many countries, and improved life conditions of many people. Before his voyage some thought if sailing West all one would find is India, however Columbus’ expedition found
It is thought by many that Christopher Columbus was a skilled sailor on a mission of greed. Many think that he in fact did it all for the money, honor and the status that comes with an explorer, but this is not the case entirely. Columbus was an adventurer and was enthused by the thrill of the quest of the unknown. “Columbus had a firm religious faith and a scientific curiosity, a zest for life, the felling for beauty and the striving for novelty that we associate with the advancement of learning”. He had heard of the legendary Atlantic voyages and sailors reports of land to the west of Madeira and the Azores. He believed that Japan was about 4,800 km to the west of Portugal. In 1484, Columbus wanted support for an exploratory voyage from King John II of Portugal, but he was refused. In 1485, Columbus took his son Diego and went to Spain to get some help.
Meanwhile, they make up all kinds of details to tell a better story and to humanize Columbus so that readers will identify with him” (1). On American textbooks, Christopher Columbus was portray as the first person who discovered America, but it is actually a lie that Columbus is the first America’s “great” hero. In my opinion, American textbooks put more emphasis on making significant heroic character rather than giving a true detail of history. Also, it provides a mythical hero and covers up anything that shows in the history of the America in a negative light and made them look bad. Explorers who reached America before Columbus are well underplayed. They should stick to the facts of what Columbus really did and should focus on as many accurate details of Columbus’ life, without overcompensating for his
[2] Columbus is a mainstay of American patriotism. He is the patron saint who planted the seeds of our nation. Our culture has been lulled into his heroic myth for hundreds of years and has celebrated this man with much pomp and circumstance. Columbus’ worthiness has been the subject of much controversy and is now being linked to such un-heroic terms as mass murder, holocaust, and genocide.
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. This is the phrase that most elementary school children learn when they are taught about the discovery of the Americas. Most people look fondly on Christopher Columbus since he traveled to the unknown and started the colonization of America that lead to the North and South America that we know today. Christopher Columbus is not a hero, however, since he was not the one to discover the Americas and because of his cruel treatment of the Native Americans.
First it was too risky of an expedition to put money towards and give your men for that trip and secondly who is to say that Columbus was really actually going on this voyage. You can tell that a lot of people liked to play things safe to where they knew what would happen. In the end King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella ended up getting very lucky. Not only were they able to convert many people to Christianity, but they also were able to collect gold without even having to do