Technology’s impact on the Voyage of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus set sail to his first voyage on the Atlantic ocean in 1492. He died in 1506. Technological advances had greatly changed our world since the voyages of Christopher Columbus. However, his voyage would have changed in time, navigation, and communication. Therefore, if he had just some of the technology we have today in 2016, this would have a beneficial impact and change to carrying out his voyages to seeking the “New World.”
During his voyage, in order to keep track of time Christopher Columbus used an hourglass/sandglass, calendar, and also the stars. This worked ,but it wasn’t very convenient at times. If he used the sandglass, it would act as a timer ,but the
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sandglass would not tell him the specific time of the day. Also sand will stick together if there is moisture in the air and will not work properly.
Calendars were also another way of keeping track of the days. He made calendars out of paper, which could rip/tear or fly away if it got caught in the wind. Another tool he would use to keep track of time would be the stars. He would locate the North star and the Big Dipper and it would tell him the time. This wasn’t always convenient because sometimes at night the sky could be foggy and the clouds could cover up the stars. These methods were useful ,but at some point they became an issue. Another aspect of the past that could have been improved would be the lack of communication from outside the ship that Columbus didn’t have. He also didn’t have a resourceful use of navigation during his voyage. In the 1400’s, people only had use of maps, and compasses. Maps can be hard to read if the location you are trying to find is small on the map. Maps can also become an issue if it is raining. Rain can ruin the paper and smudge ink and will make it easier to rip and tear. Christopher also used an object called …show more content…
a quadrant. A quadrant is an instrument used for taking angular measurements of altitude. It is normally made out of some type of metal which means it can rust if it gets wet. If it is rusted then it may become harder to read at times. Also the quadrant is not always accurate if it is not used properly. All of these tools Columbus used to get the job done, but if he could have had the advantage to use the technology that we have today, it would have been way more efficient and probably less time consuming. Today, we have an advantage of technology advances.
Now our ways of identifying the time, navigation, and communication are much easier and faster. One way that we can keep track of time fast and easy is a clock. A clock can give you the time as soon as you look at it. There are different types of clocks. I think a digital clock or even just a wrist watch would have helped Christopher Columbus save so much time when it came to checking it. This would be way more efficient because clocks are accurate, and they are a way better source because of how much time it would save you rather than using an hourglass, calendars, or the stars. In 2016, we have also advanced in ways of tracking navigation. When Columbus was setting sail on his voyage he only had access to maps and quadrants, which weren’t efficient at times. Instead of going through all the confusion, trouble, and wasting time, we now have access to something called a GPS. This is a global positioning system. A GPS is digital and will tell you exactly where to go. Some of them even talk to you and you don’t even half to look down at the screen. All you have to do is listen and follow the directions that it tells you to go. A Gps is a very easy and timeless way of tracking navigation. Another issue that occurred during his voyage was lack of communication. While Columbus was on his voyage, there was no way that he could communicate to anyone that was off the ship or to far away where he couldn’t talk to them. There was no
way of communication besides talking to one another or writing letters. A problem that occurred with writing letters was that you could not send a letter to someone if you are on a ship in the middle of an ocean. To solve that problem our generation has created a cell phone. A cell phone is a device used to communicate to someone through a signal in the air that a cell phone tower gives. This is a way that Columbus could call his relatives and check on them or talk to anyone he wanted as long as they had a cell phone too. All of these tools work much easier than the tools that he had to use on his voyage. If Columbus had the advancements when he sailed his voyage that we do today in 2016, then his job would have been much easier and less time consuming. This could have changed how columbus’s sail could have gone by time, efficiency, navigation, and communication in a positive way. This would have a beneficial impact on his journey.
What could one man do to change the world we never knew? Columbus’ explorations gave us many opportunities. He introduced new products such as tomatoes and cotton which we still eat and use today. H...
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.
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 propose 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 due
This book focuses on different types of calendars from a number of different places all around the world. This specific chapter, even more specifically this section, focuses on the Mayan calendar. These calendars were written by honored members of their aristocracy and were held to be of great value. The Spanish invaders believed them to be instruments of the devil and burnt great quantities of them. E. G. Richards explains that only four Mayan books are survive in the libraries of Europe, and one of those—The Dresden codex—suffered severe damage in another fire, one which was inflicted on that city in the Second World War. Richards says that the earliest record of a calendar survives from about 500 BC in Monte Alban near Oaxaca. This calendar employs a 260-day cycle, which was commonly used by several societies and is still in use among the present-day inhabitants of the region. The Maya used the calendar partly to anticipate propitious days to embark on wars and other activities. It was also used to record on stone pillars, or stelae, important events in the lives of their kings and to relate these to more mythical events of the past. The Mayan calendar system involved two major methods of specifying a specific date—the calendar round and the long count. The calendar round was used to specify a date within a period of about 52 years, while the long count served to relate such dates within a longer period named a great cycle. The calendar round involved three interlocking cycles of 13, 20, and 365 days respectively. The 365-day cycle was called a haab and was similar to the Egyptian wandering year. Each haab was divided into 18 periods called uinals; each uinal had 20 days and a name. The 18 uinal were followed by five epagomen...
Christopher Columbus was an Italian sailor and explorer who travelled across the Atlantic Ocean in 1942, in search of a quick route to India Spice trading, which was at the time the largest industry in the world. Columbus made a total of 4 trips between 1492 - 1504. Columbus throughout time has been revered as a hero, and the reason that many of us are even settled on this land, but there are many dark truths that will be touched upon throughout this report. Columbus starts his journey in August 1492, when he sets sail from Spain under the sponsorship of King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. His original plan was to simply find a new route to India, so he could further prosper from the booming spice trading industry.
In a much busier world (Spain), lived a very adventurous, religious, and loyal man named Christopher Columbus. Born in Genoa, Italy, Christopher Columbus was the son of a very skilled weaver. He was an expert sailor, thus earning the title of “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” for himself after his successful expeditions. He had a favorite ship, Santa Maria although he had two other ships (Nina and Pinta). Like most sailors of his time, he knew that the world was round. However, he assumed the world was smaller and he believed he could go on a successful expedition to Asia in search of wealth.
Sometime between 1974 and 1981, we, as Americans, began romanticizing the story of Christopher Columbus. Today, we’re going to set the record straight. Christopher Columbus was a terrible sailor but a good communicator and navigator. Furthermore, Columbus was a mass murderer who either misread his calculations or was just that bad at math. This is likely why he thought he found Asia.
The story of Christopher Columbus begins in the city of Genoa in the year 1451. Columbus was the oldest of five children. He went to grammar school but left school at an early age and began sailing on Genoese ships in the Mediterranean. The sailing experience that Columbus gained sailing in the Mediterranean was the base for his sailing knowledge. Between 1476 and 1785, Columbus lived in Portugal. While in Portugal, Christopher Columbus expanded his knowledge of sailing and navigation. The time that Columbus spent in Portugal helped in his later voyages across the Atlantic.
Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator who sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean in search for the all-water route to Asia, but instead achieved fame for making landfall in the Caribbean Sea. Columbus' plan was based in part on two major miscalculations. First, he underestimated the circumference of the world by about 25 per cent. Columbus also mistakenly believed that most of the world consisted of land rather than water. This mistake led him to conclude that Asia extended much farther east than it actually did. In 1492, Columbus embarked on his first voyage. Queen Isabella of Spain ordered that the port of Palos supply him with three ships the Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria. A total of about 90 crew members sailed aboard the three ships. In addition to the officers and sailors, the expedition included a translator, three physicians, a servant for each captain, a secretary, and an accountant. On October 12, 1492, at 2:00 in the morning he spouted a small island, which he called San Salvador. In January, the Santa Maria was wrecked off the coast of Espanola. The Nina, with Columbus in command, along with the Pinta began the homeward voyage in January 1493. The storms drove the ships first to the Azores and then to Lisbon, Columbus arrived in Palos, Spain, in March. He was enthusiastically received by the Spanish Monarchs. Columbus planned immediately for a second expedition, with about 1500 men, which left Spain in September 1493. They landed on the island of Dominica, Gaudeloupe. His stop at Puerto Rico is the closest he came to setting foot on land that would later form part of the United States, the main foundation for the claim that Columbus “discovered America.”
Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer for Spain, began his European exploration in 1492. During this journey, he discovered three voyages to the New World. This event was significant because it not only opened doors to a New World, but created more opportunities, trade and business wise. Christopher Columbus created vast experiences for those who followed behind him in exploring the New World.
Scientifically, when the cultures of 15th century Europe and the natives in the Americas are concerned, the two are fairly alike. In Europe,a great deal of work was done in astronomy. Of course this was because it was a necessity for navigation. From the studies of the heavens, the Europeans were also able to have calenders and a reliable way to keep time. Perhaps the best instrument was the astrolabe(a flat model of the night skies). (McGovern ,61). Despite these achievements, tables used for planetary positions were still very inaccurate. At the time of Columbus, the Earth was still the center of the universe and the planets revolved around it. It would be another 40 years before the Copernican system of the sun being the center of the universe was even suggested(McGovern, 66).
On August 3 that year, he took off from the Spanish port of Paolos with three ships-the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria-, with almost 90 crew members. This trip, never attempted before, needed God on the side of the sailors aboard: Columbus himself, Amerigo Vespucci, and Verrazzano… After six days, he landed on the Canary Islands, where he rested his ships. Columbus sailed southwest, and...
Columbus's expeditions initiated a period of remarkable global exchange and exploration, leading to significant advancements in navigation, cartography, and understanding of the world. These voyages paved the way for the following European exploration and colonization, which, despite their negative consequences, also facilitated cultural exchange, trade, and the spread of ideas between different regions of the world. Additionally, Columbus's discoveries played a vital role in connecting the Eastern and Western worlds, ultimately resulting in the exchange of goods, plants, animals, and ideas that transformed both the Old World and the New World. Disregarding these positive aspects of Columbus's legacy not only warps our comprehension of history, but also hinders our ability to appreciate the complexities and intricacies of the past. The establishment of trade routes and cultural exchanges between Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas fostered the development of a more interconnected and globalized world
In 1485, Christopher Columbus moved to Spain to ask King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella to fund his expedition. After routes to India were cut off to the Europeans, Columbus became determined to find a sea-bound route to Asia. He calculated that Asia was some 4000km to the west, when in reality it was closer to 16000. His miscalculation and the lack of geographical knowledge in this time period led to one of the most significant discoveries in history. To a variety of people in the 1400s, Columbus was regarded as a brilliant explorer.
Christopher Columbus, born in 1451, was the oldest son of Domenico Colombo. A controversial figure blamed for the eradication of the natives in the island he “discovered”, Columbus nonetheless should be credited with opening Europe’s eyes and ears to the Caribbean. Throughout his lifetime Columbus made 4 pilgrimages to the New World.