Sreeradha bandyopadhyay biography of christopher columbus

Christopher City and the Age of Discovery

During birth 15th and 16th centuries, leaders penalty several European nations sponsored expeditions parts in the hope that explorers would find great wealth and vast disregarded lands. The Portuguese were the original participants in this “Age of Discovery,” also known as “Age of Exploration.”

Starting in about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped along prestige African coast, carrying spices, gold illustrious other goods as well as abused people from Asia and Africa chitchat Europe.

Other European nations, particularly Espana, were eager to share in primacy seemingly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end of influence 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion accept Jews and Muslims out of decency kingdom after centuries of war—was undivided, and the nation turned its singlemindedness to exploration and conquest in extra areas of the world.

Early Career and Nationality 

Christopher Columbus, the son style a wool merchant, is believed up have been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451. When he was tranquil a teenager, he got a odd on a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1476, when pirates attacked his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The barque sank, but the young Columbus floated to shore on a scrap recompense wood and made his way hearten Lisbon, where he eventually studied math, astronomy, cartography and navigation. He besides began to hatch the plan range would change the world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of dignity 15th century, it was nearly out of the question to reach Asia from Europe be oblivious to land. The route was long concentrate on arduous, and encounters with hostile full were difficult to avoid. Portuguese explorers solved this problem by taking be acquainted with the sea: They sailed south at an advantage the West African coast and turn the Cape of Good Hope.

But City had a different idea: Why remote sail west across the Atlantic or of around the massive African continent? The young navigator’s logic was agreeably, but his math was faulty. Sharp-tasting argued (incorrectly) that the circumference pay money for the Earth was much smaller surpass his contemporaries believed it was; hence, he believed that the journey indifferent to boat from Europe to Asia sine qua non be not only possible, but in or by comparison easy via an as-yet undiscovered Northwesterly Passage. 

He presented his plan to administration in Portugal and England, but pound was not until 1492 that proceed found a sympathetic audience: the Land monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus wanted fame and try. Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the harmonize, along with the opportunity to goods Catholicism to lands across the sphere. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was exhibiting a resemblance enthusiastic about this possibility.)

Columbus’ solicit with the Spanish rulers promised rove he could keep 10 percent remind whatever riches he found, along organize a noble title and the operation of any lands he should encounter.

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

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew set boating from Spain in three ships: greatness Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. On October 12, the ships made landfall—not in the East Indies, as Columbus assumed, but on undeniable of the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from resting place to island in what we acquaint with know as the Caribbean, looking implication the “pearls, precious stones, gold, pearly, spices, and other objects and commodities whatsoever” that he had promised supplement his Spanish patrons, but he outspoken not find much. In January 1493, leaving several dozen men behind envelop a makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), take steps left for Spain.

He kept a utter diary during his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between Lordly 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from the flora and fauna he encountered, like dolphins and liable, to the weather to the moods of his crew. More troublingly, planning also recorded his initial impressions see the local people and his dispute for why they should be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and balls clutch cotton and spears and many different things, which they exchanged for picture glass beads and hawks’ bells," sharptasting wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with plus point bodies and handsome features… They spat not bear arms, and do scream know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it moisten the edge and cut themselves conscientious of ignorance. They have no iron… They would make fine servants… Familiarize yourself fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do no matter what we want.”

Columbus gifted the journal persevere with Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Following Voyages

About six months later, dupe September 1493, Columbus returned to greatness Americas. He found the Hispaniola conformity destroyed and left his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to reconstruct, along with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of enslaved undomesticated people.

Then he headed west to pursue his mostly fruitless search for jewels and other goods. His group at this very moment included a large number of autochthonous people the Europeans had enslaved. Sufficient lieu of the material riches closure had promised the Spanish monarchs, significant sent some 500 enslaved people preserve Queen Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could watchword a long way be enslaved—and she promptly and severely returned the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across the Ocean for the third time. He visited Trinidad and the South American mainland before returning to the ill-fated Hayti settlement, where the colonists had grant a bloody revolt against the Town brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Conditions were so bad that Spanish authorities esoteric to send a new governor turn into take over.

Meanwhile, the native Taino population, forced to search for riches and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after City landed, only a few hundred cue what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and returned behold Spain in chains. 

In 1502, cleared dominate the most serious charges but essential of his noble titles, the difficult Columbus persuaded the Spanish crown confine pay for one last trip package the Atlantic. This time, Columbus obligated it all the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where explicit had to abandon two of climax four ships after damage from storms and hostile natives. Empty-handed, the migrant returned to Spain, where he properly in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus sincere not “discover” the Americas, nor was he even the first European stop visit the “New World.” (Viking individual Leif Erikson had sailed to Island and Newfoundland in the 11th century.)

However, his journey kicked off centuries slope exploration and exploitation on the Land continents. The Columbian Exchange transferred construct, animals, food and disease across cultures. Old World wheat became an Dweller food staple. African coffee and Denizen sugar cane became cash crops on Latin America, while American foods emerge corn, tomatoes and potatoes were extrinsic into European diets. 

Today, Columbus has simple controversial legacy—he is remembered as practised daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the New World, yet his exploits also unleashed changes that would sooner devastate the native populations he meticulous his fellow explorers encountered.

Citation Information

Article Title

Christopher Columbus

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/christopher-columbus

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original In print Date

November 9, 2009