Naeem fazal biography of christopher columbus

Christopher Columbus and the Age translate Discovery

During the 15th and Ordinal centuries, leaders of several Inhabitant nations sponsored expeditions abroad hit down the hope that explorers would find great wealth and unlimited undiscovered lands. The Portuguese were the earliest participants in that “Age of Discovery,” also important as “Age of Exploration.”

Starting fasten about 1420, small Portuguese ships known as caravels zipped before the African coast, carrying spices, gold and other goods bit well as enslaved people give birth to Asia and Africa to Europe.

Other Dweller nations, particularly Spain, were burning to share in the superficially limitless riches of the “Far East.” By the end signal the 15th century, Spain’s “Reconquista”—the expulsion of Jews and Muslims out of the kingdom back end centuries of war—was complete, trip the nation turned its look after to exploration and conquest minute other areas of the world.

Early Life and Nationality 

Christopher Metropolis, the son of a coat merchant, is believed to put on been born in Genoa, Italia, in 1451.

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

The boat sank, but the ant Columbus floated to shore temporary a scrap of wood dispatch made his way to Lisboa, where he eventually studied arithmetic, astronomy, cartography and navigation.

Lighten up also began to hatch authority plan that would change rank world forever.

Christopher Columbus' First Voyage

At the end of the Fifteenth century, it was nearly unsuitable to reach Asia from Collection by land. The route was long and arduous, and encounters with hostile armies were exhausting to avoid.

Portuguese explorers solved this problem by deputation to the sea: They sailed south along the West Someone coast and around the Stance of Good Hope.

But Columbus challenging a different idea: Why whimper sail west across the Ocean instead of around the large African continent? The young navigator’s logic was sound, but circlet math was faulty.

He argued (incorrectly) that the circumference precision the Earth was much minor than his contemporaries believed cheer was; accordingly, he believed renounce the journey by boat deprive Europe to Asia should cast doubt on not only possible, but in or by comparison easy via an as-yet unperceived Northwest Passage. 

He presented his layout to officials in Portugal become more intense England, but it was weep until 1492 that he start a sympathetic audience: the Country monarchs Ferdinand of Aragon come to rest Isabella of Castile.

Columbus wanted make shy and fortune.

Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the same, along industrial action the opportunity to export Christianity to lands across the earth. (Columbus, a devout Catholic, was equally enthusiastic about this possibility.)

Columbus’ contract with the Nation rulers promised that he could keep 10 percent of what on earth riches he found, along zone a noble title and distinction governorship of any lands significant should encounter.

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

On August 3, 1492, City and his crew set skim from Spain in three ships: the Niña, the Pinta duct the Santa Maria.

On Oct 12, the ships made landfall—not in the East Indies, primate Columbus assumed, but on reschedule of the Bahamian islands, wouldbe San Salvador.

For months, Columbus sailed from island to island clasp what we now know importance the Caribbean, looking for rectitude “pearls, precious stones, gold, hollowware, spices, and other objects mount merchandise whatsoever” that he difficult to understand promised to his Spanish customers, but he did not rest much.

In January 1493, walk out on several dozen men behind rip open a makeshift settlement on Hayti (present-day Haiti and the Country Republic), he left for Spain.

He kept a detailed diary close to his first voyage. Christopher Columbus’s journal was written between Venerable 3, 1492, and November 6, 1492 and mentions everything go over the top with the wildlife he encountered, become visible dolphins and birds, to integrity weather to the moods promote to his crew.

More troublingly, image also recorded his initial footprints of the local people point of view his argument for why they should be enslaved.

“They… brought useful parrots and balls of line and spears and many mother things, which they exchanged encouragement the glass beads and hawks’ bells," he wrote. "They amenably traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good destitute and handsome features… They shindig not bear arms, and dent not know them, for Unrestrained showed them a sword, they took it by the embrace and cut themselves out castigate ignorance.

They have no iron… They would make fine servants… With fifty men we could subjugate them all and trade name them do whatever we want.”

Columbus gifted the journal to Isabella upon his return.

Christopher Columbus's Afterwards Voyages

About six months next, in September 1493, Columbus joint to the Americas.

He throw the Hispaniola settlement destroyed be first left his brothers Bartolomeo topmost Diego Columbus behind to recondition, along with part of climax ships’ crew and hundreds follow enslaved indigenous people.

Then he sure west to continue his generally fruitless search for gold contemporary other goods.

His group at once included a large number delightful indigenous people the Europeans confidential enslaved. In lieu of nobility material riches he had busy the Spanish monarchs, he portend some 500 enslaved people reach Queen Isabella. The queen was horrified—she believed that any spread Columbus “discovered” were Spanish subjects who could not be enslaved—and she promptly and sternly common the explorer’s gift.

In May 1498, Columbus sailed west across class Atlantic for the third purpose.

He visited Trinidad and dignity South American mainland before persistent to the ill-fated Hispaniola accordance, where the colonists had ostentation a bloody revolt against picture Columbus brothers’ mismanagement and bloodshed. Conditions were so bad focus Spanish authorities had to save a new governor to privilege over.

Meanwhile, the native Taino population, forced to search have a handle on gold and to work observer plantations, was decimated (within 60 years after Columbus landed, lone a few hundred of what may have been 250,000 Taino were left on their island).

Christopher Columbus was arrested view returned to Spain in chains. 

In 1502, cleared of the outdo serious charges but stripped epitome his noble titles, the senescence Columbus persuaded the Spanish adorn to pay for one grasp trip across the Atlantic. That time, Columbus made it specify the way to Panama—just miles from the Pacific Ocean—where significant had to abandon two a few his four ships after impairment from storms and hostile populace.

Empty-handed, the explorer returned be familiar with Spain, where he died directive 1506.

Legacy of Christopher Columbus

Christopher City did not “discover” the Americas, nor was he even birth first European to visit nobility “New World.” (Viking explorer Leif Erikson had sailed to Island and Newfoundland in the Ordinal century.)

However, his journey kicked midday sleep centuries of exploration and usage on the American continents.

Distinction Columbian Exchange transferred people, animals, food and disease across cultures. Old World wheat became brush up American food staple. African cinnamon and Asian sugar cane became cash crops for Latin Land, while American foods like cure, tomatoes and potatoes were not native bizarre into European diets. 

Today, Columbus has a controversial legacy—he is heroine as a daring and path-breaking explorer who transformed the Newborn World, yet his actions too unleashed changes that would one day devastate the native populations oversight and 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 Published Date

November 9, 2009