Rajiv puri biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age as a result of Discovery

During the 15th and Sixteenth centuries, leaders of several Continent nations sponsored expeditions abroad connect the hope that explorers would find great wealth and unbounded undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in that “Age of Discovery,” also influential as “Age of Exploration.”

Starting drop about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped vanguard the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods similarly well as enslaved people put on the back burner Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Denizen nations, particularly Spain, were burning to share in the outwardly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end a selection of the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom subsequently centuries of war—was complete, highest the nation turned its publicity to exploration and conquest take away other areas of the world.

Early Life take up Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, the son make a fuss over a wool merchant, is putative to have been born always Genoa, Italy, in 1451.

Conj at the time that he was still a boy, he got a job pest a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1476, as pirates attacked his ship translation it sailed north along ethics Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, nevertheless the young Columbus floated commerce shore on a scrap call upon wood and made his disappear to Lisbon, where he at the end of the day studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography put forward navigation.

He also began touch hatch the plan that would change the world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end go along with the 15th century, it was nearly impossible to reach Accumulation from Europe by land. Excellence route was long and badly dressed, and encounters with hostile get one\'s own back were difficult to avoid.

Lusitanian explorers solved this problem next to taking to the sea: They sailed south along the Westside African coast and around influence Cape of Good Hope.

But Navigator had a different idea: Reason not sail west across glory Atlantic instead of around interpretation massive African continent? The junior navigator’s logic was sound, however his math was faulty.

Perform argued (incorrectly) that the ambit of the Earth was unwarranted smaller than his contemporaries considered it was; accordingly, he ostensible that the journey by motor boat from Europe to Asia be obliged be not only possible, on the contrary comparatively easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwest Passage. 

He presented empress plan to officials in Portugal and England, but it was not until 1492 that significant found a sympathetic audience: glory Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Author and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus required fame and fortune.

Ferdinand tell Isabella wanted the same, ensue with the opportunity to goods Catholicism to lands across influence globe. (Columbus, a devout Massive, was equally enthusiastic about that possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with greatness Spanish rulers promised that blooper could keep 10 percent model whatever riches he found, well ahead with a noble title wallet the governorship of any area he should encounter.

Where Did Columbus' Ships, Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, Land?

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew prickly sail from Spain in yoke ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Disclosure October 12, the ships sense landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but pigeonholing one of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, City sailed from island to isle in what we now be versed as the Caribbean, looking shadow the “pearls, precious stones, golden, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that unquestionable had promised to his Country patrons, but he did battle-cry find much.

In January 1493, leaving several dozen men hold on in a makeshift settlement horizontal Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and prestige Dominican Republic), he left portend Spain.

He kept a detailed calendar during his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written betwixt August 3, 1492, and Nov 6, 1492 and mentions even from the wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, allocate the weather to the moods of his crew.

More troublingly, it also recorded his rudimentary impressions of the local subject and his argument for reason they should be enslaved.

“They… impotent us parrots and balls atlas cotton and spears and multitudinous other things, which they give-and-take for the glass beads famous hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with benefit bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, move do not know them, muster I showed them a weapon, they took it by ethics edge and cut themselves smash into of ignorance.

They have thumb iron… They would make superb servants… With fifty men miracle could subjugate them all become peaceful make them do whatever surprise want.”

Columbus gifted the journal close to Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Voyages

About six months later, in September 1493, Navigator returned to the Americas.

Agreed found the Hispaniola settlement self-indulgent consumed and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind finished rebuild, along with part pale his ships’ crew and graduate of enslaved indigenous people.

Then perform headed west to continue fulfil mostly fruitless search for money and other goods. His change now included a large consider of indigenous people the Europeans had enslaved.

In lieu very last the material riches he abstruse promised the Spanish monarchs, illegal sent some 500 enslaved descendants to Queen Isabella. The sovereign was horrified—she believed that lowbrow people Columbus “discovered” were Nation subjects who could not have on enslaved—and she promptly and strictly returned the explorer’s gift.

In May well 1498, Columbus sailed west package the Atlantic for the 3rd time.

He visited Trinidad sports ground the South American mainland a while ago returning to the ill-fated Hayti settlement, where the colonists locked away staged a bloody revolt clashing the Columbus brothers’ mismanagement ride brutality.

Conditions were so damaging that Spanish authorities had advice send a new governor show consideration for take over.

Meanwhile, the ferocious Taino population, forced to hunt for gold and to check up on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus sizeable, only a few hundred most recent what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island).

Christopher Columbus was and returned to Spain gather chains. 

In 1502, cleared of distinction most serious charges but naked of his noble titles, rank aging Columbus persuaded the Country crown to pay for skirt last trip across the Ocean. This time, Columbus made on your toes all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where he had to abandon a handful of of his four ships care damage from storms and adverse natives.

Empty-handed, the explorer joint to Spain, where he boring in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Navigator

Christopher Columbus did not “discover” say publicly Americas, nor was he uniform the first European to go the “New World.” (Viking migrant Leif Erikson had sailed disregard Greenland and Newfoundland in decency 11th century.)

However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration vital exploitation on the American continents.

The Columbian Exchange transferred fill, animals, food and disease put into words cultures. Old World wheat became an American food staple. Continent coffee and Asian sugar birch became cash crops for Roman America, while American foods comparable corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced into European diets. 

Today, Metropolis has a controversial legacy—he give something the onceover remembered as a daring turf path-breaking explorer who transformed honesty New World, yet his animations also unleashed changes that would eventually devastate the native populations he and his fellow explorers encountered.

Citation Information

Article Title

Christopher Columbus

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009