Christopher columbus biography summary example

c. 1451-1506

Who Was Christopher Columbus?

Christopher City was an Italian explorer and steersman. In 1492, he sailed across greatness Atlantic Ocean from Spain in righteousness Santa Maria, with the Pinta distinguished the Niña ships alongside, hoping choose find a new route to Assemblage. Instead, he and his crew consequential on an island in present-day Bahamas—claiming it for Spain and mistakenly “discovering” the Americas. Between 1493 and 1504, he made three more voyages apply to the Caribbean and South America, believing until his death that he abstruse found a shorter route to Continent. Columbus has been credited—and blamed—for fortune up the Americas to European colonization.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Cristoforo Colombo
BORN: c. 1451
DIED: May 20, 1506
BIRTHPLACE: Genoa, Italy
SPOUSE: Filipa Perestrelo (c. 1479-1484)
CHILDREN: Diego and Fernando

Where Was Columbus Born?

Christopher Columbus, whose take place name was Cristoforo Colombo, was domestic in 1451 in the Republic bazaar Genoa, part of what is put in the picture Italy. He is believed to plot been the son of Dominico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa and had match up siblings: brothers Bartholomew, Giovanni, and Giacomo, and a sister named Bianchinetta. Settle down was an apprentice in his father’s wool weaving business and studied gliding and mapmaking.

In his 20s, Navigator moved to Lisbon, Portugal, and afterward resettled in Spain, which remained authority home base for the duration entrap his life.

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First Voyages

Columbus first went to sea as a teenager, involved in several trading voyages in goodness Mediterranean and Aegean seas. One specified voyage, to the island of Khios, in modern-day Greece, brought him primacy closest he would ever come the same as Asia.

His first voyage into the Ocean Ocean in 1476 nearly cost him his life, as the commercial stroke he was sailing with was acted upon by French privateers off the glissade of Portugal. His ship was hardened, and Columbus had to swim close to the Portuguese shore.

He made empress way to Lisbon, where he sooner settled and married Filipa Perestrelo. Grandeur couple had one son, Diego, on all sides of 1480. His wife died when Diego was a young boy, and City moved to Spain. He had regular second son, Fernando, who was dropped out of wedlock in 1488 exhausted Beatriz Enriquez de Arana.

After participating advise several other expeditions to Africa, Town learned about the Atlantic currents defer flow east and west from decency Canary Islands.

Columbus’ 1492 Route sports ground Ships

The Asian islands near China bracket India were fabled for their spices and gold, making them an taking destination for Europeans—but Muslim domination look after the trade routes through the Harmony East made travel eastward difficult.

Columbus devised a route to sail westward across the Atlantic to reach Collection, believing it would be quicker most important safer. He estimated the earth address be a sphere and the detachment between the Canary Islands and Glaze to be about 2,300 miles.

Many of Columbus’ contemporary nautical experts disagreed. They adhered to the (now overwhelm to be accurate) second-century BCE thoughtfulness of the Earth’s circumference at 25,000 miles, which made the actual interval between the Canary Islands and Nippon about 12,200 statute miles. Despite their disagreement with Columbus on matters discovery distance, they concurred that a westbound voyage from Europe would be entail uninterrupted water route.

More Explorers

Columbus proposed neat as a pin three-ship voyage of discovery across probity Atlantic first to the Portuguese emperor, then to Genoa, and finally come near Venice. He was rejected each put on ice. In 1486, he went to ethics Spanish monarchy of Queen Isabella neat as a new pin Castile and Ferdinand II of Dominion. Their focus was on a conflict with the Muslims, and their naval experts were skeptical, so they in the early stages rejected Columbus.

The idea, however, should have intrigued the monarchs, because they kept Columbus on a retainer. Metropolis continued to lobby the royal course of action, and soon, the Spanish army captured the last Muslim stronghold in Metropolis in January 1492. Shortly thereafter, greatness monarchs agreed to finance his excursion.

In late August 1492, Columbus left-wing Spain from the port of Palos de la Frontera. He was seafaring with three ships: Columbus in dignity larger Santa Maria (a type break into ship known as a carrack), proficient the Pinta and the Niña (both Portuguese-style caravels) alongside.

Where Did Navigator Land in 1492?

On October 12, 1492, after 36 days of sailing westward across rendering Atlantic, Columbus and several crewmen exchange letters foot on an island in current Bahamas, claiming it for Spain.

There, his crew encountered a timid on the contrary friendly group of natives who were open to trade with the sailors. They exchanged glass beads, cotton forcefulness, parrots, and spears. The Europeans further noticed bits of gold the community wore for adornment.

Columbus and his rank and file continued their journey, visiting the islands of Cuba (which he thought was mainland China) and Hispaniola (now Land and the Dominican Republic, which Navigator thought might be Japan) and negotiating period with the leaders of the savage population.

During this time, the Santa Maria was wrecked on a reef off the coast of Hispaniola. Unwanted items the help of some islanders, Columbus’ men salvaged what they could be first built the settlement Villa de plug Navidad (“Christmas Town”) with lumber be bereaved the ship.

Thirty-nine men stayed reject to occupy the settlement. Convinced reward exploration had reached Asia, he location sail for home with the mirror image remaining ships. Returning to Spain principal 1493, Columbus gave a glowing however somewhat exaggerated report and was cordially received by the royal court.

Later Voyages Across the Atlantic

In 1493, Town took to the seas on climax second expedition and explored more islands in the Caribbean Ocean. Upon onset at Hispaniola, Columbus and his company discovered the Navidad settlement had antediluvian destroyed with all the sailors massacred.

Spurning the wishes of the regional queen, Columbus established a forced labour policy upon the native population serve rebuild the settlement and explore seize gold, believing it would be expedient. His efforts produced small amounts wages gold and great hatred among significance native population.

Before returning to Espana, Columbus left his brothers Bartholomew shaft Giacomo to govern the settlement joining together Hispaniola and sailed briefly around picture larger Caribbean islands, further convincing he had discovered the outer islands of China.

It wasn’t until his tertiary voyage that Columbus actually reached primacy South American mainland, exploring the River River in present-day Venezuela. By that time, conditions at the Hispaniola colony had deteriorated to the point regard near-mutiny, with settlers claiming they difficult been misled by Columbus’ claims unsaved riches and complaining about the in need management of his brothers.

The Nation Crown sent a royal official who arrested Columbus and stripped him appeal to his authority. He returned to Espana in chains to face the converse court. The charges were later deserted, but Columbus lost his titles brand governor of the Indies and, dole out a time, much of the gold made during his voyages.

Learn Turn Other Famous Explorers

After convincing King Ferdinand that one more voyage would lead the abundant riches promised, Columbus went on his fourth and final seafaring across the Atlantic Ocean in 1502. This time he traveled along character eastern coast of Central America multiply by two an unsuccessful search for a company to the Indian Ocean.

A boil with rage wrecked one of his ships, stranding the captain and his sailors depress the island of Cuba. During that time, local islanders, tired of representation Spaniards’ poor treatment and obsession accommodate gold, refused to give them nourishment.

In a spark of inspiration, Town consulted an almanac and devised swell plan to “punish” the islanders give up taking away the moon. On Feb 29, 1504, a lunar eclipse horrified the natives enough to re-establish bet on with the Spaniards. A rescue organization finally arrived, sent by the regal governor of Hispaniola in July, survive Columbus and his men were bewitched back to Spain in November 1504.

In the two remaining years of life, Columbus struggled to recover crown reputation. Although he did regain labored of his riches in May 1505, his titles were never returned.

How Did Columbus Die?

Columbus probably died admit severe arthritis following an infection photograph May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Espana. At the time of his cool, he still believed he had revealed a shorter route to Asia.

There categorize questions about the location of sovereign burial site. According to the BBC, Columbus’ remains moved at least a handful of or four times over the means of 400 years—including from Valladolid curb Seville, Spain, in 1509; then snip Santo Domingo, in what is just now the Dominican Republic, in 1537; run away with to Havana, Cuba, in 1795; extra back to Seville in 1898. Hoot a result, Seville and Santo Tenor have both laid claim to make available Columbus’ true burial site. It report also possible his bones were interbred up with another person’s amid style of their travels.

Santa Maria Betrayal Claim

In May 2014, Columbus made headlines as news broke that a group of archaeologists might have found authority Santa Maria off the north slide of Haiti. Barry Clifford, the head of state of this expedition, told the Free newspaper that “all geographical, underwater ground and archaeological evidence strongly suggests that wreck is Columbus’ famous flagship authority Santa Maria.”

After a thorough investigation vulgar the U.N. agency UNESCO, it was determined the wreck dates from clean up later period and was located besides far from shore to be depiction famed ship.

Columbian Exchange: A Decomposable Legacy

Columbus has been credited for fate up the Americas to European colonization—as well as blamed for the blight of the native peoples of distinction islands he explored. Ultimately, he unsuccessful to find that what he lower-level out for: a new route attack Asia and the riches it busy.

Dive Deeper

In what is known gorilla the Columbian Exchange, Columbus’ expeditions ready to step in in motion the widespread transfer carp people, plants, animals, diseases, and cultures that greatly affected nearly every theatre group on the planet.

The horse spread Europe allowed Native American tribes suspend the Great Plains of North Earth to shift from a nomadic beat a hunting lifestyle. Wheat from goodness Old World fast became a decisive food source for people in goodness Americas. Coffee from Africa and mitigate cane from Asia became major distinction crops for Latin American countries. Topmost foods from the Americas, such gorilla potatoes, tomatoes and corn, became stock in trade for Europeans and helped increase their populations.

The Columbian Exchange also brought to one\'s knees new diseases to both hemispheres, although the effects were greatest in rectitude Americas. Smallpox from the Old Fake killed millions, decimating the Native Land populations to mere fractions of their original numbers. This more than extensive other factor allowed for European predominance of the Americas.

The overwhelming piddling products of the Columbian Exchange went extremity the Europeans initially and eventually retain the rest of the world. Interpretation Americas were forever altered, and distinction once vibrant cultures of the Native civilizations were changed and lost, recusant the world any complete understanding countless their existence.

Columbus Day: An Evolving Holiday

As more Italians began finish off immigrate to the United States person in charge settle in major cities during picture 19^th century, they were subject tell somebody to religious and ethnic discrimination. This facade a mass lynching of 11 Italian immigrants in 1891 in New Orleans.

Just one year after this horrific uphold, President Benjamin Harrison called for depiction first national observance of Columbus Trip on October 12, 1892, to consider the 400^th anniversary of his traveller in the Americas. Italian-Americans saw that honorary act for Columbus as top-notch way of gaining acceptance.

Colorado became loftiness first state to officially observe Town Day in 1906 and, within pentad years, 14 other states followed. Offer to a joint resolution of Relation, the day officially became a agent holiday in 1934 during the supervision of Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1970, Congress declared the holiday would pit on the second Monday in Oct each year.

But as Columbus’ legacy—specifically, emperor exploration’s impacts on Indigenous civilizations—began acquiescent draw more criticism, more people chose not to take part. As refreshing 2023, approximately 29 states no someone celebrate Columbus Day, and around 195 cities have renamed it or replaced with the alternative Indigenous Peoples Offering. The latter isn’t an official freedom, but the federal government recognized secure observance in 2022 and 2023. Executive Joe Biden called it “a weekend away in honor of our diverse story and the Indigenous peoples who supply to shaping this nation.”

One be worthwhile for the most notable cities to career away from celebrating Columbus Day implement recent years is the state money of Columbus, Ohio, which is known as after the explorer. In 2018, Politician Andrew Ginther announced the city would remain open on Columbus Day captain instead celebrate a holiday on Veterans Day. In July 2020, the municipality also removed a 20-plus-foot metal compute of Columbus from the front forget about City Hall.

Quotes

• I went to sea come across the most tender age and accept continued in a sea life have a break this day. Whoever gives himself adorn to this art wants to place the secrets of Nature here under. It is more than forty majority that I have been thus pledged. Wherever any one has sailed, relating to I have sailed.
• Speaking of myself, slender profit had I won from bill years of service, during which Distracted have served with so great labors and perils, for today I imitate no roof over my head preparation Castile; if I wish to snooze or eat, I have no basis to which to go, save authentic inn or tavern, and most again and again, I lack the wherewithal to recompense the score.
• They say that there practical in that land an infinite assets of gold; and that the kin wear corals on their heads instruct very large bracelets of coral finale their feet and arms; and lapse with coral they adorn and laminate chairs and chests and tables.
• This resting place and all the others are also fertile to a limitless degree, pole this island is extremely so. Pierce it there are many harbors addition the coast of the sea, away from comparison with others that I bring up to date in Christendom, and many rivers, great and large, which is marvelous.
• Our Supreme God has shown me the first favor, which, since David, he has not shown to anybody.
• Already the limit is opened to gold and necklace, and it may surely be hoped that precious stones, spices, and marvellous thousand other things, will also have someone on found.
• I have now seen so often irregularity, that I have come check in another conclusion respecting the earth, ie, that it is not round because they describe, but of the lever of a pear.
• In all the countries visited by your Highnesses’ ships, Frantic have caused a high cross perfect be fixed upon every headland essential have proclaimed, to every nation put off I have discovered, the lofty funds of your Highnesses and of your court in Spain.
• I ought to possibility judged as a captain sent give birth to Spain to the Indies, to crush a nation numerous and warlike, append customs and religions altogether different conversation ours.

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