Pro And Cons Of Christopher Columbus

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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 …show more content…

When Columbus presented his idea to Spain, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella decided to sponsor Columbus’ voyage. One of Spain's main reason to fund Columbus’ voyage was due to profit, fame and fortune. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella knew they could benefit from the voyage. Columbus promised to find them gold and other riches. It took seven years before King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella finally decided to finance Columbus voyage. Queen Isabella changed her mind due to one of the court officials, Luis de Santangel. Queen Isabella agreed to Columbus requirements and Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand made a contract …show more content…

On a Friday morning on August 3,1492 Columbus set sail with his crew and the three ships he obtained; the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Columbus headed west across the Atlantic Ocean and on October 12 he landed on an island, which he renamed it San Salvador. Columbus was there for months visiting one island to another. In 1493 Columbus left 40 men behind in Hispaniola (present-day Haiti) and returned to Spain.

Another reason that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella financed the voyage was because they wanted to spread religion. Specifically Christianity and Columbus, being a devout Catholic was enthusiastic about the idea. The deal was that every time Columbus discovered an island or land, he would have to give it to Spain so they would take control and have the opportunity to spread Christianity through missionaries. Religion was popular and had power around the world, but especially in Spain. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella then realized that if a trade route was open then they could spread Christianity and it would spread all the way to Asia, which would give Europeans more power and give Spain control over the Mediterranean.

Lastly, another reason King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella funded Christopher Columbus’ voyage was because they were trying to get to India before Portugal did. Spain and

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