Christopher Columbus, Report of The First Voyage. Who was Christopher Columbus and why is he so important to American history, when he was not the one who founded what is now known as America? In the following paragraphs there will be details of his first voyage, and why he is an important part of American history.
First off very little was known about Christopher Columbus. He was believed to have been born in born in Genoa. And spent years seeking support in Portugal before he convinced Queen Isabella of Spain to back his expedition (Perkins,27). He knew that the world was round but misunderstood its size, causing him fail most of his voyages. Although he failed what he was trying to accomplish, his voyages led to many explorations, conquests, and settlements (Perkins,27).
In his first voyage he
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describes his findings as follows: The people of this island and of all the other islands which I have found and seen, or have not seen, all go naked, men and women, as their mothers bore them, except that some women cover one place only with the leaf of a plant or with a net of cotton which they make for that. They have no iron or steel or weapons, nor are they capable of using them, although they are well-built people of handsome stature, because they are wonderfully timorous. (Perkins, 28). He then goes on to explain that after the Indians lose fear of the Englishmen that they are kind, and unselfish with their possessions.
After telling about the people on this island that he has discovered, which he calls the Indies. Since they had different languages they came up with ways to understand each other, such as using certain signs for certain things. He also explains, how they worshiped him, thinking that “he comes from the sky” (Perkins,29). And that when they arrived all came, men and women, as soon as they had confidence in us, so that not one, big or little, remained behind, and all brought something to eat and drink, which they gave with marvelous love (Perkins,29).
So why is Christopher Columbus so important to American history? He was the beginning of America, although he never actually reached the land. He inspired others to venture out into the unknown world. He also helped give an understanding of the Indians to those who knew nothing about them. Knowing what was learned from the writing of Christopher Columbus’s writing of his First Voyage, gave explorers the confidence to go further, eventually leading them to what is now known as
America.
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
Who is Christopher Columbus? You may already have prior knowledge of him, but if you do not, Christopher Columbus was a Spanish explorer who made four voyages to the Americas. His voyages led to the Columbian Exchange and colonization. Many cultures, ideas, technology, and foods were spread between the Americas, the “New World,” and Europe, Africa, and Asia, the “Old World”. Even though many great things were exchanged between the Old World and the New World, many diseases from Europe were introduced to the Natives. Does this make Christopher Columbus a hero, or a villain? The answer is not that debatable. A closer look must be taken at Christopher Columbus 's life to be able to judge such things. This essay will take a look at his life,
In Pageant Christopher Columbus is one of the first people named as relevant to our history. He is built up as a hero, with words such as "a man of vision, energy, resourcefulness, and courage" used to describe him (Pageant p.4). We are told that he knows the world is round, but that nobody will believe him. Finally he convinces Spain's monarchs to fund him, and is given "three tiny but seaworthy ships manned...
...us brought America to the attention of the civilized world, to the growing, scientific civilizations of Western Europe. The result, ultimately, was the United States of America. It was Columbus’ discovery for Western Europe that led to the arrival of ideas and people on which this nation was founded on. The voyages of Christopher Columbus contain one of the great adventure stories of all time. His first journey across thousands of miles of unknown ocean, in the middle of the rebellious grievances and tensions of his crew, was not only one of the most significant achievements of recorded human history, but was also a demonstration of Columbus's dominance as mariner and navigator. For a while he had faults and defects, which brought turmoil to his personal life, but there was no flaw, no dark side to the most significant of all his qualities, of course his seamanship.
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
Christopher Columbus was an Italian mariner who sailed in the service of the King and Queen of Spain and made four voyages to the Caribbean and South America between 1492 and 1504. In May 1476, Columbus was a crewmember of a convoy of ships that left the Greek island of Chios bound for Lisbon, England and Flanders. Nothing more is known about Columbus's early
Everyone knows the saying Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. However, there is a lot more to Christopher Columbus than what everyone was taught in elementary school through high school. Columbus is thought to be a hero, but just being classified as a hero is a fallacy. Several works including Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies and The Lies my Teacher Told Me have been published about the real Christopher Columbus and his legacy.
Christopher Columbus was one of the most legendary sailors and explorers of all time. Christopher Columbus , an italian explorer, was born in the year of 1451 in the Republic of Genoa. Christopher Columbus was a teenager when he first set sail the ocean in 1465. He became a sailor in 1476 and started to travel many places before going on his largest voyage in 1480. In 1492, Christopher Columbus exploration to the New World linked Europe and the Americas. His discoveries enlightened the globe and started a new age of exploration. His standards and morals changed the history of the whole globe. He was known for traveling for all types of reasons for many foreign monarchs. But why would a monarch from one country be interested in employing an explorer from a foreign country to complete such an important task?
One reason is because he was a very well skilled captain and commander. He was also very good at finding routes to different countries and using the land there wisely. Some believe he was also very brave for taking the risk of sailing across the ocean not really knowing where he was going. Others think he “Opened up the America” but not started it. (Celebrating Columbus Day by: Joanne Mattern)
Exploration involves a journey fueled by the quest for knowledge and understanding. Explorers helped define the world and allowed humanity access to knowledge and information. Christopher Columbus can be considered an important explorer in the American history. His engagement in exploration left a thick mark in the world that cannot be undone. He is well known for his discovery of what was considered a new world, America. Christopher managed to achieve this through constant traveling that had him land on a new word that the European had no knowledge of. His voyages marked an imperative step in the American history. It opened up the European kingdoms and initiated the growth of trade routes and colonies. It developed a link between the continents
Christopher Columbus is a widely disputed character in American history. He is most often taught as being the hero, and orchestrating the discovery of the world that we live in today. However many people have disagreed with that because, while he discovered the New World, Columbus is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Native Americans.
"Christopher Columbus: The Untold Story." Christopher Columbus: The Untold Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.understandingprejudice.org/nativeiq/columbus.htm>.
Christopher Columbus had an amazing journey exploring the new world. He is from Italy and sailed under the Spanish flag .His voyage was funded by Spain, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. He wanted to try and sail to India. He was looking for a western sea route. He sailed with three ships the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina. Everyone thought he was going to fall off the edge of the world. He set sail and did not land where he wanted to be. He ended out in the Americas.
Before the most famous historic voyage to the Americas Christopher Columbus had no support to go on his expedition. Christopher Columbus tried to get support from the King of Portugal John II, but he was turned down. Spain finally agreed to sponsor his voyage in 1492 across the Atlantic Ocean. By agreeing to sponsor Christopher Columbus voyage they believed they would have gained leverage in what they were trying to do in Spain. The Reconquista made the Spaniards very powerful. By Christopher Columbus finding new land with people and gold it convinced King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to continue to support his voyages. Even though the king and queen believed that allowing him to go on the voyages benefited them it actually allowed Christopher
In the years leading up to and including 1491 European explorers had been researching and studying the world, however they lacked a real understanding of the true size and geography of our planet. When explorers finally began setting out on their expeditions in the late 1400’s, the world began to experience serious change. Before Columbus is credited with the discovery of America in 1492, the Americas were untouched by Europeans, but within a few hundred years permanent settlements would be founded on American soil despite the presence of the native people.