The pioneering exploration of the Caribbean Islands, by Christopher Columbus led to the first European contact of the Taino Indians in that region. This encounter resulted in the Taino Indians being traded, yet opened the South Atlantic and Caribbean for future exploration and eventual colonization. The first voyage of Christopher Columbus’ kicked off his legacy of being an explorer. The hardest part of starting Columbus’ voyage trying to find funds. “Columbus had a different idea: Why not sail west across the Atlantic instead of around the massive African continent? The young navigator’s logic was sound, but his math was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of the Earth was much smaller than his contemporaries believed …show more content…
He presented his plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until 1491 that he found a sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile” (History). “Columbus wanted fame and fortune. Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the same, along with the opportunity to export Catholicism to lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was equally enthusiastic about this possibility.) Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could keep 10 percent of whatever riches he found, along with a noble title and the governorship of any lands he should encounter” (History). When Christopher Columbus found all the funds for the voyage they were ready to set sail on the Atlantic. “Columbus sailed for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. On his first trip, Columbus led an expedition with three ships, the Niña (captained by Vicente Yáñez Pinzón), the Pinta (owned and captained by Martin Alonzo Pinzon), and the Santa Maria (captained by Columbus), and about 90 crew members. They set sail on Aug. 3, 1492 from Palos, Spain” (EnchantedLearning). “Once underway, Columbus benefited from …show more content…
“Christopher Columbus did not “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first European to visit the “New World.”. However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation on the American continents. The consequences of his explorations were severe for the native populations of the areas he and the conquistadores conquered” (History). “Disease and environmental changes resulted in the destruction of the majority of the native population over time, while Europeans continued to extract natural resources from these territories. Today, Columbus has a mixed legacy—he is remembered as a daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually devastate the native populations he and his fellow explorers encountered” (History). “The second Monday of October is Columbus Day, celebrated as a federal holiday in the U.S. since 1971. This day marks the anniversary of Christopher Columbus 's 1492 landing in the Americas, his "discovery of the New World" for the benefit of the Spanish monarchy”
Toward the end of pre-colonial times in Europe, due to the fall of Constantinople, many European nations felt the need to find an alternate route to the East Indies. The trade of rare goods such as spices, rice, exotic fruits and silk fabrics were much in demand, but came at extreme prices. In the beginning of the ‘Age of Exploration’, Portugal was in the forefront with the early explorers Henry the Navigator, Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teixeira, and Diogo Silves discovering the Madeira Islands, the Azores, and the exploration of Africa respectively, but King John the II of Portugal was unconvinced by Christopher Columbus’s pleas to fund his plan to sail West to the East Indies. Columbus made many demands for self-profit, including ten percent of any riches with which he returned, and even an ‘Admiralty’. Subsequently, Columbus took his plans to Queen Isabella of Spain. Spain acquiesced, and Columbus set off on his fateful journey. The Roman Catholic Church was very interested in expanding the Christian faith during this time and applied its influence on the monarchy. Religion also played a large personal role as Columbus truly believed that God spoke to him, and guided his hand. Additionally, at this time in Europe, land and food were at a premium. The monarchs of the era were fully aware that the acquisition of more land, slave labor and possible natural resources would greatly increase their power, prestige and subsequent wealth. After learning of Columbus’ successful return and the Treaty of Tordesillas (which divided the New World between Spain and Portugal), King Henry VII of England threw his hat into the ring and sent John Cabot sailing from Bristol on an attempt to find a shorter route to the ‘Indies’. Not to be left out in ...
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 some respects, we can attribute the founding of America and all its subsequent impacts to Christopher Columbus. Columbus a hero in the United States, has his own holiday and we view as the one who paved the way for America to be colonized. However, people tend to forget the other side of Columbus, the side that lusted after gold and resources that often belonged to the native inhabitants he came across in his exploration. In his insatiable greed, he and his crew committed countless atrocities, such as torture and killing of defenseless natives. Columbus’s discovery of these new lands contributes profound and negative effects as future colonists arrived. “Zinn estimates that perhaps 3 million people perished in the Caribbean alone from raids, forced labor and disease” (Zinn, 1980). Columbus was seen as a cruel man, who saw the peaceful inhabitants as right for the conquering and lead to the devastation of the native population, yet is celebrated every October.
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.
Columbus loved this idea and decided to run with it. He first sailed out on August 3rd, 1492. Columbus sailed three ships across the Atlantic Ocean. The ships names were: Santa Maria, Piñta, and the Nina. Columbus used many trinkets that helped him and his crewmen achieve their goal such as; maps, compasses, astrolabes, and hourglasses. They carried aboard dried out meats, rice, cheeses, live pigs and hens to butcher later, and a few figs. They also brought along gold, silver, glass beads, caps, pearls, and different spices to trade as needed. The days became long and tiring. They began facing difficult challenges like harsh weather, the spreading of diseases throughout the ship, lack of food and water, and the obstacle of their ships sinking. Columbus ended up proving to everyone that the
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?
Columbus has sailed three different ships, Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria (History.com) . His main goal was to find new land that he could claim, and he could find resources such as gold, or spices. He wanted this to make his home land richer. Although,
Christopher Columbus was simply a skilled sailor and navigator, who was also an opportunist. He was born in 1451, in the Republic of Genoa, Italy. After being rejected by the Portuguese king, he took his plan to Genoa first, and then Venice but they rejected the plan also. His last option was to go with the Spanish monarchy of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille, they agreed to finance the expedition. So in August of 1492, Columbus left Spain with three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. He discover America on October 12, 1942. (“Christopher Columbus”).
In 1492 Columbus set sail from spain, in 1493 he was the first european to discover the Western Hemisphere. He arrived in the Bahamas or, as he called it, San Salvador. He came across the Arawaks and he was treated with much respect and received gifts, blessings and was seen as a god. Columbus, Pizarro, Cortez and many other Spaniard Commanders accepted the warm welcome all over America, but when the Natives couldn’t provide all the gold, which was their primary goal, the Spaniards needed they were killed, tortured and beaten. Villages, pillaged, ransacked and burned to the ground. Women and children chopped to pieces and the spaniards did not show the slightest bit of mercy. Columbus and his fellow Spaniards massacred the native population of the Americas; showing no mercy and leaving an everlasting hole in the native population. The voyages destroyed the Western Hemisphere as a whole, by; destroying cultures and populations while the Eastern Hemisphere gained a newfound source of exploitable people and rare resources. Later throughout history Columbus is seen as a hero who lead to creations of new countries, colonies and new cultures, but his intentions were quite the opposite. He was a dark and cynical “explorer” set on murdering and exploiting innocents.
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
When Columbus landed in the “New World”, or the America’s, this marked the beginning of World growth and prosperity; at least for the most of Europe. However, for the America’s, it was the beginning of disaster for the country. By discovering the America’s, Columbus ruined not on the lives of many indigenous people, but also the land which they lived.
In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the Atlantic Ocean, as far as the Iceland and West Africa, his adventures convinced him that the world was round. Thus, the fabled riches of the East spices, silk and gold could be had by sailing in West “, (Leowen, 1995, p.29). As a voyager his journey was motivated by discovering new land but his objectives was to find a Western route to the Indies. This essay will look at the traditional myths about Christopher and his discovery of America (new land). Than discuss how revisionist historians and American Indians activist maintained to object the traditional myths and the discovering of America.
Everyone knows Christopher Columbus as the man who discovered America, one who was very heroic, and led many voyages across the oceans. As a young boy, he showed interest in maps, charts and even began working on ships when he was 14. Christopher Columbus started his life as a sailor around the age of 19 and from then on, he began to create his legacy. Christopher wanted to discover North America and set out this voyage to prove that the Earth was round in 1492. Christopher Columbus made a great change in history because he was the one known to have found the “New World” which later became known as America.
Christopher Columbus Day is a holiday celebrated yearly, every October, around the nation. This day celebrates the anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America. It also remembers the discovery of America, which happened on October 12,1492. Numerous people believe the day should be celebrated, because it was the beginning of the America and it’s history. Others believe that even though Columbus’ arrival was the beginning, the day shouldn’t be celebrated because of his horrible actions. As more information about Columbus was revealed over the years differences about him truly being a hero had arisen. It has been debated among many, whether this should be a holiday that is celebrated, or not. Although there is multiple of controversy,
In 1492 Christopher Columbus started on his voyage to find what he thought would be a faster route to the West Indies, but in actuality stumbled upon small islands that we now call the Bahamas. When he left on his voyage, his intent was to find and take the riches that the West Indies had to offer but to his disappointment these things that were intended to pay for his voyage did not exist.