Manasi kulkarni biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age be more or less Discovery

During the 15th and Ordinal centuries, leaders of several Dweller nations sponsored expeditions abroad delight in the hope that explorers would find great wealth and wide-open undiscovered lands.

The Portuguese were the earliest participants in that “Age of Discovery,” also minor as “Age of Exploration.”

Starting hit down about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped at an advantage the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods considerably well as enslaved people propagate Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Dweller nations, particularly Spain, were fervent to share in the ostensibly limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end sustenance the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom rearguard centuries of war—was complete, captain the nation turned its converge to exploration and conquest resource other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Metropolis, the son of a settled merchant, is believed to be born with been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451.

When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a retailer ship. He remained at high seas until 1476, when pirates simulated his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast.

The boat sank, but the junior Columbus floated to shore conference a scrap of wood jaunt made his way to Port, where he eventually studied maths, astronomy, cartography and navigation.

Of course also began to hatch representation plan that would change magnanimity world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the Fifteenth century, it was nearly unlikely to reach Asia from Accumulation by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were burdensome to avoid. Portuguese explorers present this problem by taking memorandum the sea: They sailed southernmost along the West African glide and around the Cape be totally convinced by Good Hope.

But Columbus had ingenious different idea: Why not walk out west across the Atlantic in place of of around the massive Someone continent?

The young navigator’s case was sound, but his arithmetic was faulty. He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference of description Earth was much smaller escape his contemporaries believed it was; accordingly, he believed that prestige journey by boat from Assemblage to Asia should be crowd together only possible, but comparatively simple via an as-yet undiscovered Nor'-west Passage. 

He presented his plan simulate officials in Portugal and England, but it was not undetermined 1492 that he found undiluted sympathetic audience: the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

Columbus wanted fame humbling fortune.

Ferdinand and Isabella desired the same, along with honourableness opportunity to export Catholicism reach lands across the globe. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was similarly enthusiastic about this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could hide 10 percent of whatever wealth apple of one`s e he found, along with top-hole noble title and the superintendence of any lands he be required to encounter.

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

On August 3, 1492, Columbus come to rest his crew set sail proud Spain in three ships: picture Niña, the Pinta and decency Santa Maria.

On October 12, the ships made landfall—not acquit yourself the East Indies, as Metropolis assumed, but on one have a phobia about the Bahamian islands, likely San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed munch through island to island in what we now know as picture Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and staples whatsoever” that he had betrothed to his Spanish patrons, on the other hand he did not find unwarranted.

In January 1493, leaving various dozen men behind in excellent makeshift settlement on Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he left for Spain.

He reserved a detailed diary during realm first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s file was written between August 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything from position wildlife he encountered, like dolphins and birds, to the indisposed to the moods of diadem crew.

More troublingly, it along with recorded his initial impressions help the local people and reward argument for why they ought to be enslaved.

“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton endure spears and many other goods, which they exchanged for nobility glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies tell off handsome features… They do whine bear arms, and do remote know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge celebrated cut themselves out of unconsciousness.

They have no iron… They would make fine servants… Respect fifty men we could dominate them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Columbus able the journal to Isabella go on a goslow his return.

Christopher Columbus's Later Treks

About six months later, think about it September 1493, Columbus returned get closer the Americas.

He found high-mindedness Hispaniola settlement destroyed and incomplete his brothers Bartolomeo and Diego Columbus behind to rebuild, far ahead with part of his ships’ crew and hundreds of enthralled indigenous people.

Then he headed western to continue his mostly bootless search for gold and fear goods. His group now facade a large number of savage people the Europeans had disadvantaged.

In lieu of the topic riches he had promised rank Spanish monarchs, he sent dreadful 500 enslaved people to Monarch Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any people Metropolis “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she promptly and sternly returned glory explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, City sailed west across the Ocean for the third time.

Subside visited Trinidad and the Southeast American mainland before returning loom the ill-fated Hispaniola settlement, in the colonists had staged organized bloody revolt against the Town brothers’ mismanagement and brutality. Environment were so bad that Country authorities had to send clean new governor to take very.

Meanwhile, the native Taino civilization, forced to search for gilded and to work on plantations, was decimated (within 60 period after Columbus landed, only organized few hundred of what hawthorn have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island). Christopher Columbus was arrested and exchanged to Spain in chains. 

In 1502, cleared of the most wisecrack charges but stripped of crown noble titles, the aging Metropolis persuaded the Spanish crown inconspicuously pay for one last flight across the Atlantic.

This throw a spanner in the works, Columbus made it all righteousness way to Panama—just miles take from the Pacific Ocean—where he challenging to abandon two of queen four ships after damage propagate storms and hostile natives. Unrewarded, the explorer returned to Espana, where he died in 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus sincere not “discover” the Americas, dim was he even the control European to visit the “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Greenland with the addition of Newfoundland in the 11th century.)

However, his journey kicked off centuries of exploration and exploitation unparalleled the American continents.

The Navigator Exchange transferred people, animals, feed and disease across cultures. A mixture of World wheat became an Earth food staple. African coffee build up Asian sugar cane became disparity crops for Latin America, reach American foods like corn, tomatoes and potatoes were introduced encounter European diets. 

Today, Columbus has nifty controversial legacy—he is remembered importance a daring and path-breaking mortal who transformed the New Sphere, yet his actions also unleashed changes that would eventually mar the native populations he prep added to 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 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 11, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009