In 1492, Christopher Columbus and his fleet of three ships landed in San Salvador, causing Europeans to reassess all of their previous beliefs on how the world was. These beliefs of how the world worked stemmed mainly from religion, namely Christianity; and philosophers and writers such as: Plato, Aristotle and Ptolemy. From the very beginning of the discovery of the New World there have been many attempts at representing it for the people at the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, [starting with Christopher Columbus's journals,...] . Some of these had an ulterior motive, others, I believe were genuine misinterpretations of the things they were seeing due to their religious beliefs, some tried to represent it as truthfully as possible despite …show more content…
not being completely accurate, and others exist in the grey area in between. Point 1 – use of marvel Christopher Columbus made a habit of recording all of his voyages in his diaries, as well in a series of letters, reporting his progress back to his sponsors the Catholic King and Queen of Spain, Fernando and Isabela.
As other famous explorers before him such as Sir John Mandeville and Marco Polo also made accounts of their travels, it is clear that Columbus was influenced by them in the way in which he wrote his accounts. One way in particular, is his use of the unknown as a “marvel” (Ferdman, SH 1994) either because he had been influenced by Mandeville and Polo to such an extent the he belived that it was the only style in which a travel account should be written; or because he lacked the words to describe the unknown, to be able to write about it in a way that was believable by the Europeens who would have had no prior experience with it, hence he felt the best way was to make it a marvel and something with which they could relate;or even it was Columbus's desired belief that the things he reported seeing there actually existed, due to his conversance with Polo and Mandevilles' …show more content…
accounts Point 2- Columbus was very pious and old fashioned in comparison to his counterparts, namely Americo Vespuccio, as he constantly states his belief in God as his reason and inspiration to continue on his voyages of the Americas.
It was his belief that he was the one commissioned by God to spread His word to the natives of the New World and to convert them to Christianity, as well as Columbus's ultimate aim: reconquering Jerusalem (this was the reason he embarked on his exploration in the first place, to earn money to set up an army). This was made clear in his letter to the Catholic King and Queen of Spain from his fourth voyage. The Admiral was also well read in the likes of Plato, Aristotle and Ptolemy and continued to believe their works as the undeniable truth (whereas the likes of Vespuccio around this time were starting to believe otherwise) hence why, at the time of his fourth voyage he was still convinced that he was just off the shore of the Indian
subcontinent: “They say the sea surrounds Ciguare and it is 10 days sailing to the Ganges” (Columbus 4th voyage, translation Cecil Jones, The Argonaut Press 1930) Due to his Ptolemaic “knowledge” of the world Columbus interpreted what the Indians were saying, or rather, what he thought they were saying, so that it fitted into the box of what was “known” about the world at the time, for example... find a quote about the gold being near by Insert religious part of argument. As Todorov observes, “The relation to God does not involve communication, although it can influence or even pre-determine every form of communication. This is precisely Columbus's case: there is a definite relation between the form of his faith in God and the strategy of his interpretations” (Todorov, T, page 15) Meaning, despite Columbus not understanding what the native peoples had said, if he could make what he thought they had said fit with his religious beliefs, he was convinced it was true, or at least, he would use his religious beliefs as confirmation, for example, “I have come to believe that this is a mighty continent which was hitherto unknown... I am supported by the statements of Esdras in his fourth book [which] was approved by Saint Ambrose in his Hexameron and by Saint Augustine” (historia, I, 138, Todorov, T, p 14) Both his religious beliefs and his knowledge of ancient philosophers, caused Christopher Columbus to represent his voyages of discovery in terms of what he had convinced himself he was experiencing as opposed to what he was actually seeing, in essence, everything in Columbus's head was pointing to him close to India.
In Symcox and Sullivan’s Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies, another side of not only Columbus but also his peers is brought to light. I have never read anything written by Columbus’s contemporaries before reading this book, so it gave me some refreshing insight as opposed to the repetitive glamorized content in high school textbooks. I also appreciate how legal documents such as the Treaty of Tordesillas between Spain and Portugal are included because they give a sense of what else was going on during the time that Columbus was going on these voyages.
In Alfred J. Crosby’s book, The Columbian Exchange, the author examines the impact of the New World on the Old World, but also the impact the Old World had on the New World. One key distinction Crosby notes is how the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus challenged the intellectual systems of Christianity and Aristotelianism. Most notably, the discovery of a world that was, in fact, “new” was so contradictory to scholarly work of the past, such as Aristotle or found in the Bible, that assumptions were made on where to fit the New World into a Christian and Aristotelian world. For example, previous findings under Aristotle, which were still utilized into the 15th Century, had “quite logically supposed the equatorial zone of
Reading both passages of the two explorers, Christopher Columbus and Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, gives a great description of how the world was back in the 1500s. Now, although both were Spaniard explorers, each had different experiences and discoveries. One of the differences is how they approached exploring the new world. For instance, Columbus went to find new land in the west, while Cabeza de Vaca went as an expedition to already found lands. In addition, Columbus had a lot of success, while Cabeza de Vaca since the beginning, because of Narváez, “endured many disasters” (Baym, et al., 2013, p. 28). Furthermore, Christopher Columbus considered most important to find more land, and especially the route to reach Asia.
Washington Irving, Voyages and Discoveries of the Companions of Columbus (New York: Frederick Unger Publishing Company,) 323.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus was a self-made man who worked his way up to being the Captain of a merchant vessel. He gained the support of the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, for an expedition to the Indies. With the support of the Spanish monarchy, he set off to find a new and faster trade route to the Indies. Upon the arrival of his first voyage, Columbus wrote a letter to Luis de Santangel, a “royal official and an early supporter of his venture,” in February 1493 (35). The epistle, letter, entitled “Letter to Luis de Santangel Regarding the First Voyage” was copied and then distributed in Spain before being translated and spread throughout Europe. The Letter is held in such regard with the people as it is considered the first printed description of the new world. Through his description of the nature of the islands, Columbus decided the future fate of the islands. His description of the vast beauty of the nature around him, declares both the economic and nationalistic motivations for colonizing the new world.
In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And, when he reached his destination he killed, raped and enslaved innocent natives. Was Columbus a villain? The answer to that question, in my opinion, would be yes. Christopher Columbus was a cruel, self-centered, delusional man who does not deserve to be praised for the discovery of America.
Without intention, in 1492 Christopher Columbus initiated an event that is perhaps the most important historical turning point in modern times to the American Continents. . “For thousands of years before 1492, human societies in America had developed in isolation from the rest of the world. ”(P. 4) Christopher Columbus and other European voyagers ended all this beginning in 1492 as they searched for treasure and attempted to spread Christianity. For the first time, people from Europe, Africa, and the Americas were in regular contact. Columbus was searching for one thing and discovered something entirely different.
Christopher Columbus, was he a hero, or villain? For about 500 years, people have praised him and celebrated his life as though he was someone who did good for us. Schools teach students that Columbus was a great man, found gold and pearls, and discovered new lands. Students are even taught the names of Christopher Columbus' three ships he used on his first voyage. However, they grow up not knowing the truth about Christopher Columbus, what he really did to 'accomplish' his tasks. I simply believe that schools should show both sides of Columbus' story, so that students can be aware of the facts behind the 'discovery' of Early America.
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.
In our personal lives we consider our past forgotten, however in our history everyone affects how they see themselves. "history repeats itself " is gradually long time we know manipulated and deceived us the wrong information, books, learning in school, the "biased" report before the newspaper, radio and television. Let us move on and we just solemn pray for that will prosper in our country. I noticed that there have been distortions in our history. It’s sad because it seems like we have forgotten the sacrifices of those who died during the time of dictatorship. This tragedy cannot continue. We should stand up for someone’s rights today. Times have changed. More sooner than later, they will take power into their hands by all and whatever
After reading the two letters written by Christopher Columbus in the midst of his many voyages, I have found many similarities and differences between the two. The first letter was written to Luis de Santangel on February 15, 1493 at sea. Ten years later, the second letter was written to Ferdinand and Isabella. This letter, regarding his fourth voyage, was written on July 7, 1503. The tone in this letter compared to the first letter was abysmal. Some did not believe it was written by the same person. This makes what happened in that ten year gap become very important. It is what happened during that time that will lead one to discover the changes in attitude made by Columbus between the two letters he wrote.
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. However, even after centuries later, little is truly known of the mysterious voyage and findings of the new world.1 By examining “Letter from Columbus to Luis Santangel”, one can further contextualize the events of Columbus' exploration of the New World. The letter uncovers Columbus' subtle hints of his true intentions and exposes his exaggerated tone that catered to his lavish demands with Spain. Likewise, The Columbian Voyage Map read in accordance with the letter helps the reader track Columbus' first, second, third, and fourth voyage to the New World carefully and conveniently. Thus, the letter and map's rarity and description render invaluable insight into Columbus' intentionality of the New World and its indigenous inhabitants.
Christopher Columbus, one of the most famous explorers with an extraordinary legacy was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. He was an Italian explorer and navigator and is very well known for his four voyages and his “discovery” of the New World. Columbus began sailing when he was just a teenager in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. Later, he moved to Lisbon, Portugal and then Spain, where he spent the rest of his life. Columbus’ purpose was to find a passage to Asia by sailing West, but during his voyage he ended up in the Caribbeans and South America. Columbus’ proposal was turned down by King John of Portugal and the rulers of England and France. After several years of being declined, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella funded Columbus’ voyage
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?
Were there any other explorers who may have come across the Americas before Columbus? What caused Columbus to have such a vast impact on the society? This investigation will go further into the aspects of why Columbus’ name is widely recognized and how he had a tremendous impact, when there is evidence that suggests there may have been other explorers who had previously stumbled upon what Columbus is claimed to discover.